


Deaged Hermione

by PotionMastersBitch



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 10:43:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 90
Words: 141,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14747336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotionMastersBitch/pseuds/PotionMastersBitch
Summary: Hermione is deaged and gets attached to Severus who reluctantly agrees to watch her. Shows Slytherins are actually good.





	1. Chapter 1

Severus was grading essays and paying little attention to his class of fifth years as he knew even Longbottom could handle the simply potion he had assigned as nothing more than busy work. He simply wasn't in the mood to deal with much more than that, as he had a major headache for death eater events the night prior. Damn, Voldemort could really torture a man. His headache was so fierce he had briefly considered adding firewhiskey to the cup of coffee on his desk, but had decided against it as he knew of his disposition. There was no reason to play around with something that could very well make him end up like his father. At least today was a Friday, classes wouldn't last for long and he could spend the whole weekend sleeping. That sounded nice, who knew the last time he had actually gotten more than a few hours of sleep? He was tempted to put his head down on his desk now and rest his eyes, but thought better of that. It simply wouldn't do to show weakness. Not that he was weak for needing sleep, he was only human. A cold, hard man but still a human. Shaking his head he very reluctantly marked Weasley's essay with an O, knowing damn well that Granger had had a big role to play in that. The damn teenage know-it-all had been scolding the redhead all week, making sure he paid attention in class. Severus had actually been surprised when, for once, the freckled boy started to listen and actually take notes. Pity she hadn't been able to get to Potter yet. Despite the silence he looked up to make sure no one was goofing off in his classroom. As expected the Slytherin's were quiet and studious, hardly exchanging more than a few words with each other. The Gryffindor's were working hard as well, clearly they had sensed he was an ever fouler mood than usual. He almost wanted to reward each house with five points.

That was until he came to the last table, seating four Gryffindor's. To one side Granger and Weasley worked on one cauldron and the other side sat Potter and Longbottom. It was the latter duo that ruined whatever slightly good mood Severus was starting to get into. Instead of the proper pastel pink color, Longbottom's and Potter's potion was a dark scarlet only growing darker by the seconds as Potter carelessly continued to throw in daisy petals in improper intervals. For once, Severus could actually say that Potter wasn't trying that class period. Perhaps something was bothering the boy, but that did not excuse the dangerous behavior. Being careless with brewing was an injury or fatality waiting to happen, and Severus had vowed he'd be the first potion professor at the school to not have and injuries of fatalities. He stood up, prepared to swoop over to the table and begin a long lecture about said dangers (after taking points and assigning detention, of course) when Neville, who clearly assumed Potter knew what he was doing, added kelp to the potion which would have actually been the correct step had Potter not already created a totally different concoction.

"Everyone under their tables!" He barked, hardly finishing his sentence before the cauldron in front of Longbottom and Potter started to bubble and foam out blood-red potion. Granger, damn busy-body as she was, had not obeyed the simple order and stared forlornly at the ruined potion, as if it had been her own fault the two young teenagers had failed in the simple task. Weasley had just grabbed at the hem of her robes to forcefully yank her down (clever boy) when the foam shot out and enveloped the bushy-haired girl before Severus could vanquish the potion. It happened so quickly that Severus had only just got his wand out, perceptive as he was he had been able to take in several factors in those brief seconds making it seem much longer to him. Perhaps that was the reason he was so irrationally upset, as he thought Weasley should have grabbed her under the table faster. He had to remind himself that not everyone's observational skills were anywhere near as sharp as his before he blew his top. How idiotic did one have to be to be so completely careless with a potion- especially when one was surrounded by completely innocent people who were being careful. He'd have bodily thrown Potter out of the classroom had he not had another situation to deal with.

Granger screeched, there was no other word for it, in a manner that confirmed what Severus already knew. That the potion was incredibly hot and acidic, made more so by Potter's mistake, and as such was incredibly painful if not scaring. To his surprise, she only gave one banshee-esque shriek before she dropped to her knees and clutched at her face while everyone started to crowd about her. Weasley was all but trying to force her hands away from rubbing her eyes, in an almost-humorous change of event Weasley was actually scolding Granger.

"'Mione- don't rub at your eyes! It'll make it worse!" Weasley insisted, finally forcing the hands away from her face. Severus flinched along with the rest of the class as Grangers blistered face came into view, the eyes puffed up and watering disgusting goo.

"It bloody burns!" Granger hissed, clearly in agony as she was not one to swear.

"Hermione! I am so sorry!" Longbottom insisted, his face twisted in horror as he felt he was the one to blame. Which, usually, he was. But this time it was Potter's fault.

"Hermione! I am so sorry!" Potter joined in, looking deeply ashamed and concerned. Not that that would get him out of trouble, in all honesty even Granger looked like she was ready to knock Potter out.

"Move aside!" Severus barked, peeved that there was slightly alarmed tone to his voice. As cold as he was, he really didn't want anyone to die or be in pain...at least not searing agony. Everyone obeyed quickly, save Weasley who was unable to move as Granger clung tightly to his robes. Severus had just kneeled, prepared to rectify the situation best as he could before sending the injured off to Poppy, when the girl shrunk and then disappeared.

Several people yelled and Weasley moaned in agony as if the girl had died. Severus just blinked stupidly. Surely the girl hadn't died...if she had there would be a body. Wouldn't there? He blinked again. This had never happened to him before, nor had he heard or read of anything in this nature happening. He was inwardly panicking when the now empty robes began to rustle. He gave out a sigh of relief, quietly so no one would hear it of course, as Weasley tore at the robes promptly revealing a very burned and very naked young child. A very scared child, who promptly took off and ran blindly straight into his desk before hastily crawling beneath it to whimper.

"Her-Hermione!" Weasley recovered surprisingly quickly, faster than even him, and went and kneeled beside the desk only for Granger to screech and bite at his outstretched hands. Severus sighed, his headache nearing unbearable.

"Weasley, move." He ordered dryly, grabbing up Grangers empty robes before kneeling himself in front of the desk. Severus hastily threw the robes over the girl before looking at her, hoping they covered her and hadn't fallen to the side. Sighing once more, he looked in under the desk glad to see the robes were covering Granger in a blanket like fashion. It was difficult to tell, what with the burned face, but he assumed she was six at the most. Not just bodily, but mentally as well, as the poor girl shook in abject horror.

As much as he hated to do it, he softened his voice and expression. He was not that cold. He couldn't let a small child shiver in fear...small children were tolerable to Severus. It was only once they reached nine and ten did they turn to terrors he despised. And he felt pity, for hadn't he once been a small child shivering and hiding, hoping no one would find him? For that was what Granger appeared to be doing...hiding. And who could blame her? She had awoken to find herself in a strange room with strange people. It was only his luck that no ghosts or magic had taken place around her, or he was sure she'd have had a panic attack being the muggle-born that she was.

"Hermione." Severus tripped on the name, but it was enough for the girl to look in his direction, her bottom lip quivering pitifully. Fat tears dripped from her eyes, but at least she did not wail like most children would. Perhaps she was too frozen in her fear to do much more..."Come...come out from under there." He urged gently, feeling ridiculous as he held his hands out.

"Who..who're you?" The girl whimpered, her face hardly recognizable.

Why wasn't the girl begging for her mummy and daddy? Wasn't that what most kids would do? What the hell did he know? That wasn't important in the least, so he tentatively reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "I'm professor Snape." He explained kindly. "You're at a school."

"A school?" If possible the swollen girls eyes widened.

"Yes, a school. And if you come out from under the desk I can take you to Madam Pomfrey and she will fix your eyes." He assured. "I'm sure they sting badly."

The girl looked unsure, but after a moment she childishly held her hands out in a request to be picked up. He sighed but complied, lifting her from beneath the desk he strategically wrapped the robes around her small body before attempting to thrust her into Weasley's arms. He hadn't expected the girl to refuse the switch, crying loudly until he brought her back closer. Severus's headache only increased at that moment as the second he brought her back closer she wrapped her hands in his robes and buried her face in his chest.

"Potter, seeing as this is your fault you can go and inform the headmaster as to what has happened while I bring Ms. Granger here to the hospital wing. Fifty pointed from Gryffindor, Potter. You could have killed someone." He glared at the boy who for once wasn't defiant. "Class dismissed, go make constructive use of this free time." He waited a minute while all his class did was stare. "GO!" He barked, pleased when they scurried off.

His brief pleasure at the release of anger was short-lived however, as Granger jerked in fear at his raised voice. Sighing again, he rubbed her back briefly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He promised, keeping his voice smooth. "Were going to go and get your eyes fixed now, and I'd like you do me a favor."

"A favor?" A small voice asked, the sound muffled in his robes. How had the girl chosen him as a trustworthy figure? Why? Didn't he look frightening?

"Yes, I need you to keep your eyes closed tight as we walk whole way there." He didn't need to deal with any full-scale panic attacks if the girl spotted Peeves or any other magical phenomenon. He didn't think he could stomach another banshee screech. And he couldn't use a spell to put her to sleep, not with the potential concussion she had received when she ran headfirst into his desk.

She nodded against his chest, random tufts of her tangled hair tickling his chin as she pressed deeply into him. He needn't check to be sure her eyes were squeezed as tightly as the little hands curled into his robes. There was that headache again. Wasn't Granger supposed to be smart? Why the hell would she cling to him of all people? Perhaps her brilliance had not come until much later? Perhaps she was only brilliant in regards to the wizarding world, though he highly doubted that theory. More than likely it was her terror that made her act so foolishly, from what he was given to understand fear made people do stupid things.

He walked briskly, even more so than usual in his desperation to be rid of the still trembling bundle in his arms. Albus could deal with this problem- Albus would probably even enjoy taking care of this problem. The little problem who was still very clearly crying as he could make out the small sniffles and the wet spot soaking his robes. He sighed, again, and patted her back reassuringly- once. That was all the tenderness he had to give for non-Slytherins. It would have to suffice for the small girl until they reached the hospital wing and then Albus could give whatever comfort he wanted. A comfort he was sure would involve lemon drops.

"Snivellus!" Peeves cackled madly, swooping in to yank at a tuft of Granger's messy hair before quickly moving to avoid Severus's angry swipe. "Has the bat of the dungeon got a wee child?" He questioned, again yanking a tuft of Granger's hair. "Turn around wee little girl, and let Peeves see if you're as ugly as he is!"

Of course the demented cackling from the damned poltergeist didn't help calm Granger down, if anything it increased her terror and she started shrieking again as he picked up his pace. Peeves was incredibly lucky he wasn't able to reach for his wand with his arms full of child. Even if he had been able to retrieve his weapon, he wouldn't have used it as the sight of magic would likely send Granger into the brinks of insanity. Which he was certain he'd get blamed for.

"PEEVES!"

Severus's headache became a migraine as the Bloody Baron, with good intentions, came to his defense and chased after the now terror-stricken Peeves. The second loud and raspy voice had only increased Granger's fear and she was howling so loudly he was sure the sound could rival that of those heard in the Forbidden Forest. Why was it a muggle-born that had to be deaged? And why was he always the one fixing screw-ups that were mostly due to Gryffindor's? It seemed Minerva was never around when such things happened.

"Granger. Granger! GRANGER!" He barked, satisfied when the screeching halted and was replaced instead with sobs. Not that he was happy the small girl was miserable, but relieved the the headache inducer was gone. "Nothing in this castle is going to harm you." He promised, giving her back another small pat. "Those voices belong to...friendly...people." Which was really not a lie. Peeves may be an annoying arse, but he certainly wasn't cruel. The Bloody Baron could be cruel at times, but mostly when it was warranted. "Now stop your yelling, you're inside a school." He reprimanded gently, smoothing down her hair as she re-hid her swollen face in his robes. As harsh as it sounded, he was thankful she was blind and couldn't see any of the two undead, especially the Bloody Baron.

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Severus glared at Poppy, Minerva and Albus from his spot on a hospital bed. He glared hardest at Poppy, who had used her magic immediately to heal Granger, despite his warning that it would send her into fits. And a fit was indeed what they had encountered. For as soon as the two witches and older wizard crowded about her and started muttering spells, the damned sobbing had begun, made only worse when the burns had been healed and the small could see the magic and oddly dressed people. It was once her sight was returned that the accidental magic started. As if the flying tables and beds hadn't been awful enough, the kicking of legs and feet had started. After twenty minutes of all of them trying to calm her down, she had finally stopped. Only after her flailing legs had caught him in a very sensitive area. He had grunted and nearly cursed her verbally and with his wand when she had stopped, apparently concerned about him enough that it was the only thing that occupied her mind. She was now sobbing limply in his lap as he supported most of her weight, while he was fighting the urge to vomit from sheer agony.

"I'm sorry!" The girl sniffled, reaching up to wrap her arms about his neck as he struggled to breath. Had he been able to, he would have snapped at the girl and pushed her arms away. He had never been hit there before, save for one time in third year when Lily had accidentally brought up a knee into his crotch. "But they're scary!" She whined, wiping her now unburned face in his robes.

"I am so sorry, Hermione." Albus purred, smiling down at her while remaining out of kicking distance. "We didn't mean to frighten you so." He assured, reaching into his pockets and pulling out a yellow candy. "Would you accept my apology dear?" He asked, holding out the disgusting candy for the girl with big brown eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione looked up at the man in all black as the old man held out a yellow candy to her. She wasn't sure she should take the sweet, and looked up at the man black for confirmation. He seemed to be breathing normally again, and she hoped he wasn't too upset about her kicking him. She hadn't really meant to, but she was scared and she still was. Even though everyone was smiling, save for the man in black, she wasn't sure they weren't going to hurt her and that scared her.

"What are you looking at me for?" The man in black demanded, his voice a bit higher than normal. It almost made her want to giggle...almost. "Take the candy if you want it."

She bit her lip but accepted the treat, hesitating before shoving it in her mouth. She immediately screwed up her face at the sourness, eyes watering at the taste. She shook her head, and not knowing what else to do she looked up at the Man in Black in desperation. She simply couldn't finish this candy.

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Severus sighed at Granger's desperate look and held his hand out, knowing the girl was desperate to be rid of the candy. "Those things are rather unpleasant, aren't they?" He asked, sending a pointed look at Albus as Granger spat out the offending drop in his palm. With a slight frown he tossed it in a garbage bin a few feet away, satisfied with his aim he almost smirked.

"It's sour!" Granger insisted, her face still scrunched up as she batted at her tongue with her fingers in a childish attempt to get the taste off. "Ick!"

"Indeed." Severus said dryly, wiping his hand on his robes. They were already dirty anyways, what with Granger wiping her face all over them and with all that damn potion coating the hem.

"Perhaps you would like a different kind of sweet?" Albus asked, looking slightly perturbed that someone should be so turned off from his favorite candy.

"Do you have en em ems?" Granger asked hopefully, her brown eyes lighting up for the first time she had been deaged.

"Any what dear?" Albus asked, smiling along with Poppy. Even Minerva was slightly smiling at the admittedly cute girl.

"Any em em ems?" She asked again, speaking slowly and loudly as if she thought they were either deaf or stupid.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Albus's smile wavered. Clearly he was not happy about not being able to determine what someone was feeling or wanting for once. It was time for Severus to further Albus's discomfort.

"Do you mean m&m's?" Severus asked knowingly, smug as Hermione's face lit up and Albus's smile faltered just a bit.

"Yes!" She stuck out her bottom lip, clearly annoyed that no one else could understand her. "En em em's." She repeated, looking at Albus with dark, brown eyes.

"Severus, what are m&m's?" Minerva seemed genuinely curious as did Albus at the mention of candy.

"They are muggle." Severus explained. "They're chocolate circles coated in colored chocolate shells."

"Yes." Hermione nodded, her messy hair bouncing along with her. "They are muggle." She said knowingly.

Severus raised a brow. "You do not know the meaning of that word." He accused, calling her out on it. To his surprise, she reacted in a rather Slytherin manner and started to talk her way out of the situation.

"It means good." She replied simply. "Because you said they are muggle and that must mean they are good because they are muggle."

"That is very flawed reasoning, Granger." He drawled. "Muggle is the opposite of magical."

She grinned then, her eyes twinkling. "Then I was right. Cause en em em's aren't magical."

"I'm afraid I don't have any m&m's." Albus apologized. "Although I must be sure to go and find some as they sound delightful. Perhaps you would enjoy a chocolate frog?"

Granger's face screwed up again, obviously thinking that the headmaster wanted her to eat an actual frog coated in chocolate. "No thanks...I don't think I like your candy." She smiled apologetically as Albus chuckled along with Poppy. "Do you have en em em's?" She asked Severus.

"If I did have such candy," which he did, "why would I share it with you?" He demanded, before turning to Poppy. "When do you plan on fixing her?" He was, after all, not one to enjoy having a child in his lap.

"Don't you think I'd have already begun to do that if it was that simple?" Poppy asked gently.

"What do you mean 'not that simple?'" Minerva demanded, clearly alarmed that her favorite pupil might not be easily fixed. "It's not serious is it?"

"It's not fatal, Minerva. It's just not easily reversible." Poppy explained. "Severus, I'm trusting you saved some of that potion?" Poppy asked. "You're going to need it to make a proper antidote."

"You do realize that brewing a proper antidote might take months, even if worked nonstop? I have to make calculations about Potter's poor excuse for a potion, while making calculations about mine before I can even begin to form an idea of what needs to be brewed. Then I'm assuming I'll need to make calculations based on her size. That's not even considering I'll likely have to take her mind into account! She might need even more than one potion!" Here came that headache again. Just the thought of all those number and formulas, he was already working non-stop with the paper grading, the potion brewing for both the light and the dark, and the spying. Like he wanted to add this to his list of things to do. Leave it to Potter to make his life harder than necessary. Although he would actually enjoy working on a new potion, he simply didn't have time for it which increased his anger. It was like dangling food in front of a starving person. The food for Severus being enjoyment and the starvation being misery.

"If anyone can do it, it's you." Albus said knowingly. "I'd hardly trust anyone else to brew such a complex potion, and there aren't many potions master's left. I can think of but one, and I know he would not willingly agree."

"And you enjoy working on new potions." Poppy added. "And you haven't been working on any new ones in such a long time."

"That is because I have not had time." He hissed through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps if you'd give out less homework and less detentions..." Minerva muttered... "You'd have plenty of time."

"And perhaps if everyone wasn't so lenient with Gryffindor's accidents like this wouldn't happen." Poppy surprised him by saying the very words he was about to say. "Honestly, you two need to stop turning blind eyes to what happens about this school." She scolded said Gryffindor's before they could even move to defend themselves. "It's no wonder this sort of thing hasn't happened sooner."

"Ehm," Albus coughed while Minerva's face colored slightly, "Well yes, I'll keep that in mind." He offered weakly, suggesting that he wouldn't really. "But in the mean time I do believe I should go and fetch two parents."

"Yes, and I'm going to go see to Mr. Potter." Minerva muttered, her face set in a firm scowl. "I didn't quite get to finish with him."

And with that the two strode out of the room, protesting their innocence to each other as they Poppy would never listen to it, nor would Severus come their aid. Severus would have to come up with a proper way to thank Poppy, without actually thanking her. Slytherin's didn't operate that way. If one said thank you, they acknowledged their debts. No, they much prefered to return tit for tat, a gift for a gift. Perhaps he would assign more students to her employment when he gave them detention. That seemed proper enough.

"Right then, Poppy." He gave her a curt nod. "I'll be one my way." He had just started to make a movement when Granger caught on and clung to him as tightly as Devil's Snare.

"I hardly think Hermione is going to release you, and I hardly think I am going to let you leave a four-year old here with me when I have students to attend to." There was that strict look again, a look that made Severus curse his luck.

"I'm not going to be babysitting." He argued, resisting the urge to force Granger off him. "I'm the dungeon bat, Poppy, I'm-"

"You're a nice man than you let anyone believe." Poppy cut him off. "Go Severus, I'm sure it will be hardly more than an hour before Albus and Minerva return."

"Where're we going?" The small child asked as he lifted her from the bed, taking great care to keep the blanket wrapped around her as the hospital gown was thin and the dungeons chilly.

"Does it matter?" Severus demanded.

"No." Granger answered the rhetorical question, wrapping her tiny arms about his neck as he set out of the hospital ward. "I was just curious." She yawned.

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Hermione stared all around her as they made their way through the school, her eyes never closing. She was amazed at the sights all around her, even though at the same time she was scared. But magic couldn't be awful, not when that was what had fixed her burning eyes. So she clung to the man in black tightly, while still staring. She hadn't been brave enough to ask to be put down.

Eventually, after what seemed like a very long time to her, they reached a grey and cold dungeon. She was happy that the man in black had wrapped a blanket around her, because it was very chilly down there. It was very interesting down there in the dungeon, because there were flickering lights and it made seem kind of spooky but not too spooky, which just delighted her. It was like Halloween!

She was amazed that a school like this existed. Her own private school was dreadfully boring, and full of strict teachers that would angrily if anyone dared to miss a question. Was she really going to be allowed to switch schools? She thought that would be just great. And why else would she be here? She was about to ask when they came up to the very end of the corridor to a wall. She was about to ask what they were doing there when the man and black poked his wand into the wall and it slid open.

Her mouth dropped open as they walked through the newly made door, and she gave a yelp as the door closed behind them with a sharp thud. She startled as the man sat her on the ground, and was about to beg to be picked back up.

"Let's get you into something that actually fits." The man in black waved his wand and muttered some nonsense, but seconds later she was in a dress, the same color as that hospital gown she had been made to wear. "And I suppose your feet are cold." He waved his wand again and a pair of black socks came flying to him. He waved his wand once more and they shrunk down in his hands.

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Severus threw the socks down at her, watching as she slipped them unto her feet easily. Now that she was dressed properly, as properly as he was willing to dress her, he was ready let someone else take care of the rest. All he had to do was keep from killing the girl, or keep the girl from killing herself.

"Can I look around Mr-" She stopped, looking unsure of herself as they stood in the living room.

"Professor Snape." He corrected, sinking down into his favorite recliner.

"Can I look around Pwofessow Snape?" She asked hopefully, her eyes so full of sweetness and innocence that he didn't see in the older kids in this school, that he couldn't refuse her reasonable request.

"Yes." He nodded, hoping she'd be quiet during the process.

Which she was, she was completely silent as she looked around the living room, taking in the dark furniture before widening her eyes at his collection of books that he kept at Hogwarts. She was almost reverent as she touched the books she could reach, her mouth hanging open slightly as she looked up and saw that the many bookcases almost reached up to the bookcases. He was slightly curious when he saw her stop and stare up at a book.

"Pwofessow Snape? Can I look at that book?" She asked, pointing at the book in question.

"If you can reach it." He allowed. "But you'd best not rip or tear any pages." He warned, watching as the determined girl stretched on her tiptoes and pulled out a book eagerly. She fell back on her bottom, but she seemed unperturbed as received what she had wanted. She smiled as she flipped the book open, turning the pages slowly until she was at the beginning.

"Can you read?" He asked, wondering if the girl was just going to stare at the pages like a fool.

She nodded but her smile faltered. "Not this one." She seemed genuinely sad. "I can only read some words."

"What book have you got?" He demanded, not putting it past her to grab a highly advanced material.

"Alice in wondewland." She replied, holding up the book so he could see that it was indeed one of his favorite childhood stories.

"I have a proposition for you." Severus drawled, his cunning starting to unfold. "I will read that book to you, all you have to do is keep quiet."

Hermione grinned, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she skipped merrily over to his chair and lifted her arms up.

He stared down at her. He had said he'd read to her, not let her sit in his lap. But then again, if she was in his lap she couldn't really wander off and break any vials could she? He made his decision and lifted the tiny girl to his lap, pulling a blanket over her as the dungeons really were cold.

"Pwofessow Snape? You never said if you had en em em's." Hermione pointed out, before Severus could even begin to read the pages.

He bit sighed and accioed over a bag of the candy, opening them before handing them to the girl. "There, now be silent." He said sternly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Is this Wonderland?" Hermione asked the Professor Snape, feeling sad as she didn't really want to wake up and find she was back at her house.

"No, this is all very real." Professor Snape sounded sad and stressed out and Hermione hoped she wasn't the one causing it. Maybe she should just be quiet and rest in his arms a bit, or pretend to be asleep so he wouldn't place her on the ground. She really did like being held, she didn't get be held a lot.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, trying her hardest to sound really sincere and look it too.

"Whatever for?" The man looked curious, as if he were trying to decide which thing she had done annoyed him most.

"For making you tired." She insisted, rubbing tiredly at her eyes.

"You're not the reason I'm tired." The man assured. "You've done nothing wrong."

"But I must have done something, because you look upset." She whispered, wondering what she had done wrong. Perhaps she shouldn't have asked to be read too.

"It wasn't you." Professor Snape promised, lightly tousling her hair though he still frowned.

"Promise?"

"I promise." He replied "You aren't bothering me more than I can bare."

"Thank you for the en em em's." She remembered to thank him. "There was lots of green ones, those are my favorite."

"Mine as well. But I though you'd have prefered the red."

"Why?" She asked.

"Just a thought is all." He replied.

"Oh." She yawned and closed her eyes, determined to remember to open them again in a few seconds.

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Severus sighed once he realized the girl was out cold, but didn't make a move to place her elsewhere for fear she'd awake and badger him with more questions than he cared to answer. He much prefered the quiet. And he much prefered the small girl when she was asleep, instead of awake and demanding to know what she had done wrong. He sighed as he looked down at her, slumbering deeply as she used one of his arms for a pillow. He had always wanted a child, he had even foolishly though he might one day have five or six with Lily...There was Fate again, mocking him like always.

She was light in his arms and she'd barely be noticeable if it weren't for the fact that Severus hadn't felt the warmth of human contact in such a long time. Her tiny chest rose up and down as she breathed and Severus accioed a blanket to wrap around her tiny body. He hated to admit it, but Granger really was a cute child. Come to think of it, he had never met a child he thought of as ugly. And he really only started to dislike children when they got to nine or ten, as he felt that was when they became bratty.

Yawning heavily he closed his eyes, resolved to open them in a few moments. He just needed to shut them in the interest of helping his headache abate.

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Severus sat stiffly on a chair in Albus's office, his arms still full of Hermione as her parents had refused to take her into one of their laps despite Severus informing them that the girl was their responsibility. The two 'parents' now sat with looks of contempt on their faces, and Severus was sure he wore the same look on his own.

"Mr and Mrs. Granger," Albus put on a diplomatic voice, "Hermione is your daughter. Surely you would want her at home until an antidote can be made." His voice sounded tired, as if he had spent the last hour trying to convince the Granger's of this very fact.

"And you are her headmaster, Dumbledore!" Mr. Granger barked. "Surely you'd want to take ownership of this accident and make it better!"

"Instead of thrusting all this on us!" Mrs. Granger added, looking outraged that Albus should expect them to take their child. "We leave for a holiday in Fiji, tomorrow! I don't want to bring a child on a trip that's meant to be fun!"

"The child is yours!" Severus barked. "You have a responsibility to care for her- regardless of what you want!"

"And when we sent her to this school the responsibility became yours!" Mr. Granger shot back.

"The responsibility was for her when she was school age." Albus reasoned, keeping his voice level.

"You'll keep the girl in the hospital wing!" Ms. Granger argued. "If it worked when she was petrified, it'll work for her now." She finished coldly.

"We cannot have a child running around the hospital wing, much less the school. There is no one to watch her." Albus pointed out.

"Are you saying you are unable to supervise the children in your care?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Are you saying you are unwilling to care for the child in yours?" Severus countered, wondering why people had children when they didn't want them. Severus hadn't pegged Hermione as a child who was neglected, as she seemed so well-adjusted. It was contrary to what he had seen in his own childhood and those of other children who were abused or neglected, they at least displayed some sort of problems like anger issues or poor self-esteem. Was this why Granger always had to be a know-it-all? Was that her attempt at finding self-worth, approval and praise? He was slightly peeved that something had occurred off his radar, he liked to be aware of everything.

"If this school had kept her safe in the first place we wouldn't be having this problem!" Mr. Granger yelled loudly, causing Hermione to startle and wake. Her brown eyes locked onto Severus's face and she didn't seem alarmed at all until she realized her parents were in the office. With a whimper she buried her face in his robes.

"You assume certain risks when you send a child to any school," Albus reasoned, "And this was no fault of any professors. A student caused an unfortunate accident during class, nothing more."

"Unfortunate indeed!" Mr. Granger nodded. "How am I going to arrange for someone to watch the girl on such a short notice!?"

"We can't use one of her old nannies, you know, they'd ask questions!" Ms. Granger added. "You're just going to have to keep her here, we're not taking her."  
"You must take her." Severus insisted. "Or would you like for us to involve the Wizarding Children's Protection Agency?"

Mr. Granger didn't miss a beat. "Would you like for us to involve the daily prophet?" He asked. "I'm sure they'd love to hear a story about how Harry Potter caused gross harm to a witch?"

Albus's face fell in a manner that normally would have amused Severus had it not been caused by such awful people making awful threats. "I see." Albus spoke in such a cold tone that Severus's blood ran cold. "If that's the way you feel, I'll escort you back to your house. I'll see that your precious daughter is taken care of."

"As you should." Mr. Granger agreed, standing in unison with his wife and putting an arm around her waist.

"As you should." Severus muttered, earning a glare from Ms. Granger that he returned with more force.

"Severus, would you keep an eye on Hermione while I take these two home? I shouldn't be more than an hour."

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"Is Mother and Father gone?" Hermione asked as soon as she heard the door open and close.

"Yes." Severus sighed, tired beyond belief and upset that he hadn't had a chance to hext the Granger's. He could not stand abusers. And while he was by no means kind, he didn't beat on children. He may bust their chops, but they weren't his and it wasn't his job to instill confidence in them.

"Do I get to stay with you?" The girl asked, looking up at him with big brown eyes.

"Yes. For awhile." Severus replied, wondering what Albus intended to do with the child. Poppy would likely kill the old man if he suggested she stay in the hospital wing. Maybe he'd place her in St. Mungo's.

"Those paintings are moving." Hermione whispered, pointing at Phineas who looked torn between being amused to see a child in his lap and annoyed that it was a muggleborn girl.

"Yes, these portraits are magical." Severus explained, glad when she didn't start to panic out of fear. "These people are not living anymore, but they are able to sort of live on in their portraits."

"That's amazing." She breathed, staring at Phineas who soon grew bored and went off into another portrait. Hermione frowned for a moment, but soon her attention was caught by the silver instruments on Albus's desk. "Can I look?" She asked hopefully, pointing at the desk.

"Looking is with your eyes." Severus responded. "And you can do that from here if you just want to look."

"Can I touch?" She asked, unphased, particularly eyeing a snow globe looking item.

Severus sighed and grabbed the thing, knowing it was safe for a child to handle and knowing that Albus wouldn't mind. He placed the heavy object in Hermione's hand, shaking the globe. Instantly a hippogriff appeared.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, a gap toothed smile appearing on her face.

"That is a hippogriff." Severus replied, realizing that Hermione's face took on the same look of delight that Albus's hand when he presented the headmaster with the globe as a gift for his birthday. He shook the globe again, and this time the scene of a village appeared.

"What's that?"

"That is Hogsmeade, child." Severus explained.

"Where's that?" Hermione asked again, pressing her face close to the glass and making her nose touch the glass.

"It''s just a little bit away from from this school." Severus responded.

"Can we go?" Hermione asked hopefully, before quickly putting her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry." She whispered quickly.

"Whatever for?" Severus asked, already feeling as if he knew the answer.

"No one wants to take me along with them." She frowned deeply, confirming Severus's suspicions, before she shook the globe again- a bit more violently this time.

"It's a bit late in the afternoon to be going to Hogsmeade, Hermione. Otherwise I'm sure the headmaster would have taken you." Severus assured, wanting to make the girl feel better as he knew how it felt to be unwanted.

Hermione pursed her lips but ignored the comment, focusing her eyes on the sight of a large black panther within the globe. "He looks soft." She whispered, awed. "I wish I had a kitty."

Severus was about to explain that she did have a cat, but figured that would be unnecessarily confusing and might provoke a fit of terror. "That is not a kitten, child. It is a panther."

"I know." Hermione said simply. "But they look like kitties." She said, displaying her know-it-all tendencies. A habit, Severus realized, that was much less annoying coming from the mouth of a child.

"Thing's aren't always what they appear to be." Severus muttered, leaning back heavily into the chair.

The girl turned to stare into his eyes with such intensity, it reminded Severus of Albus's gaze. "I know." She said somberly, holding his gaze for an uncomfortable amount of time before she turned back to the globe. "Where am I going to go, Pwofessow Snape?" She asked softly, refusing to look away from the globe in her lap.

"I'm not sure, but the headmaster will be sure you're taken care of." He replied honestly, knowing Albus would likely ship her off the Burrow with Molly. The only reason he refrained from telling her so was the chance that Albus might get an idea of his sleeve and place her elsewhere.

"Wish I could stay with you." She whispered, and if Severus hadn't had such sharp hearing, he would not have heard the words.

He stiffened, wondering what was wrong with the child. Couldn't she sense what a bad person he was? Had he let his facade falter? What had he even remotely done to make the girl feel safe with him, much less comfortable? "I can't imagine why." He sneered, feeling slightly guilty at the tone until he noticed Hermione seemed unphased.

"Because you're nice." She said softly, twisting around to wrap one of his arms in a tight squeeze.

"I'm hardly nice." Severus argued, keeping his hand still despite the urge to yank it away.

"Yes you are." She countered. "You took me to fix my eyes and yelled at Mother and Father."

"People don't generally associate kindness with yelling." Severus drawled, wondering if the girl was ever going to let go of his arm.

"Things aren't always what they seem." Hermione repeated his words from earlier, startling Severus with the sassiness.

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	4. Chapter 4

Hermione was staring into the globe that now showed a unicorn when she realized she had to use the potty. She frowned heavily, but figured she'd better ask to use the toilet before she had an accident and angered Professor Snape. "I have to use the potty." She informed him, tugging on his sleeve.

"Alright." He settled her on the floor, taking the globe and putting it on the desk in front of them. "Follow me."

She frowned heavily and lifted her arms up. "I have to go now." She explained, jumping up and down on her toes.

Professor Snape sighed and lifted her, hurrying through a door into a living room filled with more silver toys and painted red and into another door that housed a big bathroom. "Here we are." He sighed, setting her in front of the large porcelain seat and turning to leave.

"I can't get up there!" She said, desperately squeezing her legs together.

Professor Snape sighed again, before using his wand to create a step stool for her. She scrambled up on the seat quickly, doing her business before Professor could even leave the room.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Severus was about to snap at the girl about inappropriateness, when he remembered she was barely four. He hurried across the room, putting a hand on the knob to leave, when Hermione gave a pitiful whine.

Without turning around he stopped, staring at the door in front of him. "What is it, Granger?"

"You have to stay!" She cried desperately. "You have to make sure no one comes in!"

"Why would anyone walk in on you?" Severus questioned, anticipating the answer.

"I don't...I don't want anyone walking in today." Her voice wavered, and Severus was sure she was crying.

"I will wait right here." He allowed, still staring at the door. "No one will walk in. Finish up."

She did as ordered, and when the toilet flushed he looked around to see her dragging the stool across the floor to in front of the sink. Turning the taps on she quickly washed her hands, a look of relief on her face as she wiped her hands on a towel. When she was done with her hygienic routine she stuck her hands out in a request to be carried.

"Are your legs suddenly broken?" He queried, lifting her into his arms and settling her on his hip.

"No." She sniffed, resting her head on his shoulder as she continued to cry from the incident seconds before.

"Are your eyes broken?" He asked, walking back out into the office and settling back down in the chair he had vacated only minutes before. "They're leaking." He teased.

She gave a watery smile and sniffled but still continued to cry silently. Severus was eager to banish her tears out of pity, and also out of fear Albus would return and assume he had caused them.

"We'll have to plug them up." He joked. "How will we do that? Should I fetch some tape?"

She giggled, shaking her head. "No! Then I can't see!" She protested, squeezing her eyes shut in contradiction.

"What do you need eyes for anyways?" He asked in a light tone.

"Too see." She said matter-of-factly, opening her eyes up to stare up at him with amusement. "You know that." She scolded.

"Indeed I did, Ms. Granger." Severus agreed, glad to see her face was no longer red and splotchy. "Would you like to look at the globe again?"

To his surprise she shook her head in disagreement, her messy hair shaking with the gesture. "Will you read to me again?" She asked hopefully.

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Albus walked back into his office an hour later, having taken so long to return because he wanted to give the Granger's a proper tongue lashing. The sight that greeted him almost caused his heart to stop. Hermione was still curled up in Severus's lap, a blanket wrapped about her, as Severus read to her from the book Cinderella that he had left on his desk. Severus was actually doing voices, very good voices, and Albus had to blink to make sure he was not imagining this sweetness. He waited until Severus finished and closed the book, placing it back upon the desk in its proper place, before he cleared his throat. Had Severus been standing when he announced himself, he felt there'd have been a good chance Severus would have dropped her in his attempt to cover his tracks.

"So glad to see you two getting along." Albus grinned, taking his seat across from the two. "You must be special, Hermione. Severus doesn't just let anyone get close to him."

"I like Pwofessow Snape." The girl insisted, smiling up at Severus who had placed a rather stoney look on his face.

"I'm glad to hear that." Albus smiled, pleased the girl was opening up to him. Usually children took to him quickly, it was rather off-putting when she hadn't earlier that day. "I think he likes you, too," He pointed out, noticing Severus's glare at him was slightly less severe than usual, "He's never read me a story with voices."

"Really?" Hermione asked, grinning widely up at Severus.

"Really." He confirmed. "My voices don't get used on meddling coots."

Is possible the grin got wider and the adorable cherub wrapped her arms around one of Severus's arms in a tight squeeze, resting her head atop his arm.

"Severus, it seems you've got yourself a fan." Albus felt his eyes twinkle.

Hermione nodded, still clutching Severus's arm in an endearing manner. "Do you have fans?"

Albus chuckled. "Oh, I'd like to think I've got a few." He smiled at Severus before looking back down at the girl. "Tell me Hermione, did you like spending time with Severus?"

Hermione nodded. "He showed me a picture globe." She babbled.

"Ah, yes. You'll notice that Severus is an exceptional gift-giver." He nodded. "But not everyone is lucky enough to receive such presents from Severus."

"He gave me en em ems." Hermione countered.

"So he did." Albus grinned up at Severus, who leveled him with a scowl.

"What do you plan on doing with your young charge, Albus?" He questioned.

"My charge?" Albus asked. "She seems quite comfortable with you."

"No, Albus." Severus's eyes narrowed, shrewd enough to see where Albus was heading with this conversation.

"No what, Severus?" He feigned confusion, handing the globe back over to Hermione to keep her from boredom.

"I am not her father." He barked.

"Nor is Mr. Granger." Albus pointed out. "But if you'd like, I can place her elsewhere."

Severus's glare faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, almost undiscovered. "I think that best, Albus."

"Hermione, how would you like to stay with a good friend of mine?" Albus asked, carefully playing his cards.

"Pwofessor Snape?" She asked, eyes widening up to rival that of a does.

"I'm afraid not, dear, but my friend Molly is very-"

"No! I don't want to go to her!" She was crying in seconds, working herself up enough that his desk rocked slightly. "I want to stay with Pwofessor Snape!"

As expected Severus sighed, his weakness being that of crying girls and women. "Hermione, calm down." He softened his voice, but it was still a bit sharp.

"Please, don't make me go! I'll be good!" She wailed, wrapping her arms around his neck now. "You won't- won't even know I'm there!" She shook. "Why are you doing this to me? What did- did I do?!"

"You didn't do anything!" Severus snapped. "You simply can't stay with me." He tried to reason, but Hermione was having none of it.

"Whyyyyyy?" Hermione demanded.

"Yes, Severus, why?" Albus asked. "The Granger's have given guardianship of her to the school for the moment, this choice is completely yours."

"Completely mine?!" Severus growled. "You've planned this, old man." He sneered.

"Does this mean you'll take her?" Albus smiled.

"I don't have a choice now, do I?" He growled, rubbing Hermione's back. "Calm down, you can stay with me!"

She hiccuped, still wailing and clutching tightly to Severus who looked a cross between furious at the manipulation and eagerness to quiet Hermione up."I"ll be gooood!"

"I know!" Severus barked, rubbing the child's back in softly. "Stop crying, you can stay!"

"Pr-promise this isn't a trick?" She whimpered, wiping her eyes and nose on Severus's sleeve. "You won't- won't even know I'm here." She moaned.

"If I never know where you are, how can I take care of you?" Severus questioned, effectively silencing Hermione as she stopped and tried to figure out how to answer the question.

"You'll...only see me when you want to." She sniffed.

"How will you manage that?" Severus questioned. "That's an awfully difficult spell for someone so young."

"Can you do it?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." Severus nodded, distracting the girl with aimless questions as Albus watched on amused.

"Then..you can do..it on me." Hermione offered.

"Why would I need to be using that spell on you? Are you going to misbehave?"

"No!" Hermione shook her head, wild hair flying. "I'll be good." She promised, hugging Severus around his neck tighter. "I'll be good."

"Then it is settled. You're staying with me." Severus glared at Albus while he spoke, but kept his voice soft. "So there is no need for these tears, is there?"

"No..." Hermione agreed, wiping her face on his sleeve again. She grinned when Severus pulled away and sat her back in his lap, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping her face clear.

"Hermione, why don't you go and pet Fawkes?He looks like he's a bit lonely." Severus suggested. "Albus and I need to talk." He added, giving Albus a deadly look that Hermione remained oblivious too as she stared wide-eyed at the phoenix.

"Can't I stay in your lap?" She begged.

"There isn't enough room." Severus pointed out. "And the carpet is very soft, you'll be fine." He stated, settling her down on the soft floor.

She hesitated, looking up fearfully at him and then back to Fawkes. "He doesn't bite?"

"Why would I tell you to pet something that would hurt you?" Severus asked. "Go, Hermione."

She finally nodded, after a long moment of staring up into Severus's eyes, before she walked slowly over to Fawkes and reached up a tentative hand to stroke the feathers. When he didn't bite, she relaxed and sat down on the floor, Fawkes flying into her lap and rubbing against her. As soon as she became thoroughly distracted by the majestic creature, Severus began his rant, taking care to keep his tone soft while the words were anything but.

"And what are you going to tell Minerva, Albus?" He growled. "You don't think she'll skin you alive for placing her favorite lion in with a snake?" He clenched one of his fists. "You didn't even bother to ask me, Albus! How am I going to make the antidote while I have to watch her? How will I teach? Do you even realize how much trouble I'll get in with the Dark Lord if he discovers the girl's staying with me?"

"Hermione is well-behaved, Severus. She will be no bother to you while you brew the antidote, I have no doubt of that. And as for the teaching arrangements, we'll have to figure something out. Perhaps Slughorn could come back and you could do half-days? As for Tom- I have no doubt we can concoct some story about it being good for Hermione to stay with you?" Albus folded his hands atop the desk.

"And what story are sticking with, Albus?" Severus demanded, looking dour.

"I'll spread the word that I placed her with you because she's become attached, and you'll inform Tom that it is a good idea- as by having Hermione in your arms, you have leverage over Harry."

"What will we tell the students, Albus? They will be outraged that she is placed with me."

It was Albus's turn to sigh. "Yes, I'd assume so. We will simply have to assure them that it is on my order and that they are to accept it."

"And what of the Ministry? They are bound to figure out quickly, and they will not be pleased."

"I will deal with the ministry when the time comes." Albus answered evasively. "As for now, Severus, it is nearly supper time. Why don't you have a quiet evening with Hermione in your rooms? I'll come around tomorrow after lunch and we can discuss these arrangements then." He smiled at Severus, who still glowered.

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	5. Chapter 5

Severus was not ready to stop letting Albus know how upset he was, but the old man had stood up and smiled at him and Hermione, and walked off into the door leading to his private rooms. Severus wanted to call after him with a rude remark but stopped himself when he was reminded of Hermione's presence by her giggling. Saving his remarks for later, he stood up and made his way over to the smiling girl who was tickling Fawkes beneath his chin.

"Hermione, come on now. We've got to go."

"Okay." She sounded sad, but kept any protests to herself as she lifted her hands up in a request to be picked up.

Severus wanted to refuse, to take his anger toward Albus out on someone, but he couldn't make himself use a four year old for that purpose. He lifted her and settled the light girl on one of his hips, making sure she was secure before walking over to the fireplace.

"I need you to remain calm and not scream or kick." He said pointedly. "We are going to go through this fireplace and when we walk out, we will be in my living quarters."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "If you say so." She said dubiously.

"You don't believe me?" He asked, raising a brow.

"Not yet." She replied. "You have to prove it first." She said as it were a very obvious fact that Severus had not known.

"Very well." He muttered, throwing powder into the fire before stepping in. "My quarters!" He said clearly.

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"WOW!" Hermione yelled loudly in his ear and Severus flinched at the assault. "THAT WAS AMAZING!" She grinned widely up at him, causing Severus to lose his will to scold her. "Can I put the powder in next time?!"

"If you promise to never yell in my ear again." He said pointedly.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly, clamping her hands over her mouth.

"Don't fret, Hermione. I've had much worse done to me." He said darkly, recalling how just last night he had undergone the pain of the cruciatus just because Bellatrix and Dolohov felt the need to bring up their doubts about his loyalty (again.)

"Wow, look at all these books!" She exclaimed, thankfully having not heard his comment. "And what are these?!" She gestured at the shelves of potion in a glass plated hutch.

"Those are potions."

"What are those?" She repeated.

"They are medicines for wizards and witches." Severus clarified, slumping down into a recliner as Hermione gawked at her surroundings.

"Do you make these?" She asked, crawling up into his lap so quickly he didn't have time to protest.

"Yes, I did."

"Wow! And you teach!?" Her eyes were wide, and Severus feared he'd be answering questions all night.

"Yes." He nodded.

"You must teach potions." She said knowingly.

"Indeed, clever girl."

"Can you teach me to make one?" She asked eagerly.

"Not today." He said firmly, having no other desire than to crawl into bed. He sat up stiffly when he realized that he had nothing for a four-year old lying around his rooms- let alone a bed or clothes. He fought back shouting an oath. At most the girl would be here a week, at least a few days. Which meant he still needed to think of something and figure out how to care for a child. But he knew someone who did. Narcissa, and Lucius.

"Hermione, do you want to see what else we can do with the fireplace?"

"Yes!" She nodded quickly, smiling in excitement as he carried her to his fireplace.

"Take a pinch of this powder." Severus ordered, holding out the jar to her. When she did as asked he nodded his approval. "Okay, now throw it in the fire." He didn't need to ask twice, the girl eagerly threw the silver powder into the fire, squealing when it turned the flames green.

"Malfoy Manor!" Severus yelled, sticking his head in the flames while keeping his body firmly outside the flames.

Lucius and Narcissa were sitting together on a couch when they noticed their fireplace flaring to life. In unison they turned their attention to the flames which Severus had his head sticking out of.

"Severus!" Narcissa quickly removed her hand from its placement near the top of Lucius's lap. "We weren't expected you." She said smoothly, quickly recovering.

"Yes, well, unexpected circumstances have come up and I need you and Lucius to come over into my rooms." Severus drawled.

"Why don't you come here and join us for supper?" Narcissa suggested excitedly.

"What sort of 'circumstances?'" Lucius demanded, understandably upset that Severus had interrupted potential intimate time.

"Would you just come and see for yourself?" Severus demanded, struggling to keep Hermione from sticking her own head in the flames.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Narcissa's eyes widened comically when she stepped into Severus's rooms at Hogwarts. "What have you got there, Severus?" She asked, eyeing the small child in his lap as he sat in his recliner.

"A child." Severus sighed, massaging his temple with one hand while the girl stared up at her and Lucius with big brown eyes.

"I swear on my life, Severus, if you tell me you've kept the fact that Narcissa and I have a niece from us- I will kill you as you stand."

"I'd like to see you try." Severus sneered, knowing full-well he had the upper hand.

"Instead of you bickering with your brother, why don't you explain 'this.'" Narcissa gestured at the wide-eyed child, smiling sweetly so as not to alarm the girl.

"Potter caused a potions accident and a student was deaged." Severus growled. "The girl's parents refused to take her, and Albus volunteered me for the job."

"Sweety, how old are you?" Narcissa asked, kneeling in front of the girl.

"Four." She whispered, displaying the same amount of fingers.

"Oh wow, you're a big girl." Narcissa purred, instinctively reaching her hand out to smooth the wild hair.

"What do you mean her parents wouldn't take her?" Lucius demanded of his 'brother.'

"They made it clear she was a burden." Severus replied, his tone taking on an edge as the tiny girl finally smiled back at Narcissa with a gap-toothed grin.

"Your parents are fools." Lucius informed the child, the vehemence in his voice making the child eyes fill with fear.

"This is Lucius and Narcissa, they are not going to hurt you." Severus explained quickly.

"I'm Severus's brother." Lucius explained, kneeling down beside Narcissa. "I wouldn't hurt you." He said gently, in a voice he only reserved for family.

"I like your snake stick." The child whispered, reaching out an arm to touch the snake head atop Lucius's walking cane.

Lucius smirked proudly before laying the cane across the child's lap, allowing her to finger the snake at it's emerald eyes.

"Severus, you don't seem the type who would just willingly take in a child." Narcissa said pointedly. "And I must say, it seems rather odd that Dumbledore would volunteer you."

"Well, for some reason she's become rather attached very quickly." Severus explained. "Ever since I took her to the hospital wing after the accident." He sounded nowhere near as annoyed as Narcissa thought he should be, and she came to the conclusion that Severus didn't find the task as annoying as he was trying to make it seem.

"Did you have an accident?" Narcissa asked, cupping the girl's hands in her face.

She nodded. "My eyes burned and then Peeves pulled my hair." She said somberly.

"That Peeves is just nasty." Lucius scowled.

"He's a nuisance." She agreed, her vocabulary very impressive.

Narcissa laughed. "You're absolutely adorable," She cooed, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Hermione." She replied brightly.

Narcissa chuckled, surely this wasn't Granger. "What's your last name, Dear?"

"Granger."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000To Lucius's and Narcissa's credit, they remained considerably calm upon finding out they were just fawning over a muggleborn.

"A Gryffindor?!" Narcissa whispered, evidently trying to keep from startling the child.

"She's not a Gryffindor, at least not right now." Severus reasoned, unclear as to why he was defending her.

"And Dumbledore couldn't find anyone else to take her in?" Lucius asked, still allowing Hermione to fondle his cane. "Honestly! Next he'll be asking you for your blood or an arm!" Lucius was voicing the indignation Severus had felt earlier.

"This is actually the least troublesome task Dumbledore has assigned me." Severus hated to admit it out loud, but Hermione was well-behaved and genuinely enjoyable. And the Malfoy's already knew he had a rare soft side, it wasn't like he was displaying it for strangers.

Narcissa raised a blonde brow. "Careful Severus, your kindness is showing." She teased.

"I suppose we have to be nice to her for now." Lucius muttered, the words going unnoticed by Hermione who was now enraptured with Narcissa's hair. "You said her parents didn't want her?" He frowned heavily. "Narcissa and I would have loved to have more children. I just don't see why people have kids if they don't want them."

"You have pretty hair." Hermione informed Narcissa, reaching out to touch the gleaming strands.

"Thank you." Narcissa grinned at the compliment. "Speaking of hair, we should comb yours." She reached into her designer back, withdrawing a wooden comb with an engraved 'N' on it's back. "Come one, dear." She held her arms out, and for the first time since the accident, Hermione willingly left Severus's side.

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Narcissa gently ran her comb through Hermione's untamed hair, feeling guilty every time she had to be forceful on a snarl. While she and Lucius had hated muggles and mudbloods for the majority of their lives, Severus had gradually tempered down their hatred and replaced it with dislike. But why didn't the dislike extend to this mudblood child who was a Gryffindor to boot? Perhaps it was the fact that Narcissa had always wanted a daughter along with a son, or maybe it was the big smile the girl had graced her with. Whatever the cause, she found it hard to not like Hermione. A quick glance at her husband assure her she felt the same way. And most importantly, Hermione was in Severus's care and Severus seemed to care for her well-being whether he would admit it to himself or not.

"Has she had supper yet?" Lucius asked, looking at the watch on his wrist. "Are you hungry, child?" He questioned Hermione, interrupting Hermione's happy humming.

"Yes." She answered shyly as Narcissa began plaiting her hair, effectively taming the hair into submission.

"What color ribbon for your hair?" Narcissa asked her as Severus called for a house elf.

"Green!"

Narcissa conjured a green ribbon and tied her hair at the end with a green bow.

"Peculiar that she hasn't figured out to plait her hair." Severus muttered.

"You told me her parents didn't want her." Narcissa said softly. "Who would've taught her?"

Before Severus could even reply, a house elf appeared and placed steaming plates of food on the coffee table in front of them. Hermione screamed in terror and jumped from her lap into Severus's, hiding her face in his chest.

"Mitsy is sorry!" The elf squeaked. "Mitsy is just bringing food like he is asked!"

"Hermione!" Severus pulled her away with difficulty, turning her to look at the terrified elf. "This is Mitsy. She is a house elf. House elfs are friendly." He assured.

"Hi- Hi Mitsy." She hiccuped, waving at the nervous elf who looked like she wanted to do nothing more than leave and go back to the kitchen.

"Hi, young mistress!" The elf pipped. "Master Severus, is you needing anything else?"

"No, Mitsy. You may go."

The elf took off without hesitation, clearly relieved that it was unpunished for upsetting Hermione who was now wiping her face on Severus's sleeve. Severus sighed, but said nothing, looking as if he needed a good stiff drink.

"Here, eat up." Lucius placed a plate in Hermione's lap, after using a cooling charm, and handed Severus a glass of wine knowing his brother would not likely not be eating.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione yawned, and rubbed her eyes, using Professor Snape's arm as a pillow as she Narcissa removed her empty plate from her lap. She wasn't really listening to the adults talk, she was happy to just feel wanted. And Professor Snape was warm, and hadn't yelled at her once. Lucius and Narcissa seemed nice, too. Narcissa even did her hair and put a pretty ribbon in it! And maybe Lucius was a bit scary at first, but he didn't seem so frightening anymore.

"You'll have to put in a room for her." Narcissa said. "And she'll need clothes."

"I can add in a room, Narcissa. It's not hard magic." Lucius said gently.

"We can't just add on to the castle- what if it takes space from another room?" Professor Snape demanded.

"Who cares? If Albus was so concerned about that, he should have taken care of the problem instead of making you figure it all out."

"I can take care of the clothes." Narcissa smiled down at her, and Hermione returned the gesture. "Lucius and I will get you situated in."

"Thank you." Professor Snape sounded relieved. "I don't know how to take care of a child."

"You're doing just fine." Narcissa promised. "At least she's older. You don't have to worry about devoting every hour just to make sure she's still alive."

"Wait- doesn't she have a cat?" Lucius asked. "A furry thing that scratched Draco last year?"

"Bloody hell." Professor Snape sighed. "I'll have her boyfriend bring the cat tomorrow."

"I don't have a cat! Or a boyfriend." She wrinkled up her face and the mention of boys.

"You have a cat." Professor Snape insisted.

"No, I don't!"

"Of course you do, child." Lucius smiled. "Narcissa and I got you him as a present."

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"You got me a cat?" Hermione whispered, looking at Lucius with her eyes wide.

"Indeed." Lucius nodded, and Severus was relieved that he jumped to his aid. "You'll get to see him tomorrow."

"Thank you!" Hermione smiled widely before yawning, snuggling her head into Severus's arm.

Severus accioed a blanket, throwing it over her frame as she closed her eyes and her breathing evened out.

"Lucius and I will get everything situated, you let her sleep." Narcissa stood up and went to the floo while her husband began his work on a blank expanse of wall- working on creating a room. "I still have my dresses and clothes from when I was little stored away. I'll be right back."

Severus sighed, rubbing his temple as he watched Lucius work on making a room. Hermione was watching as well, fascination in her eyes, but very quickly she was losing the battle to stay awake. She was out before Narcissa returned with a trunk stuffed full of various items, most of them clothes.

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Narcissa hummed happily as she arranged the room Lucius had just created. Stuffing dresses into a wardrobe, she smiled. This could be a fun few days for her. Having a small girl around to dress up had been a lifelong dream, and even if said child was a mudblood, it had become easy to ignore the fact when she grinned her gap-toothed smiled. With a flick of her wand she turned the walls green, before turning her attention to the bed. She enlarged it until it was kingsized, and carefully arranged several stuffed animals atop the fluffy silver covers and pillows.

Satisfied, she pulled out last thing from the trunk she had brought. It was Narcissa's old doll, one that was very much loved. Thankfully the porcelain hadn't chipped due to an anti-breaking charm, and the doll was still very much intact. Sitting atop the freshly made bed, Narcissa stroked its brown hair, recalling the days she had spent combing it and braiding it with Andromeda's help- a happier time, way before she left Narcissa behind to go and live with that muggle man who had stolen her away. Lovingly, she tightened the pink bow and the pink dress, smiling fondly at the memories. It wasn't the heirloom doll that had been passed on for hundreds of years to the Black girls, no, Bellatrix had given her the creepy looking doll and Narcissa had stuffed it carefully away into storage. This doll was old, but not a true heirloom. But it was better than any heirloom Narcissa had been gifted, this one had given her happiness and joy throughout her years. And on the nights she missed Andromeda terribly and had no one to confide in, she had looked at the doll and was reminded of her favorite sister who shared the same dark hair and eye color with the doll she had named Dotty.

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Severus looked up when Narcissa finally returned from within the newly created room, Dotty in her arms. "Narcissa, you don't mean to give her the doll?" He protested, knowing how jealously Narcissa protected the thing.

"But I do." Narcissa purred. "When she is returned back to her proper age, the doll can be returned to me." She added, noticing that Severus looked like he was about to protest.

"If you're sure." Severus allowed, shifting Hermione slightly so that was sitting back up. Blearily she opened her eyes, unfocused, until she noticed the porcelain thing in Narcissa's arms.

"Who's that?" Hermione asked, rubbing her bleary eyes.

"This is Dotty." Narcissa smiled, holding the toy out to Hermione. "She was my doll when I was your age, and I was thinking now she can be yours."

"Mine?" Hermione whispered, looking incredulous. "Pwofessor Snape, is she being serious?"

Severus nodded, not liking the way Hermione looked so doubtful of a gift being presented to her. It reminded him too much of his past. "It's yours."

She grinned and allowed Narcissa to place the doll in Hermione's arm. "Thank you." She breathed, delicately stroking the dark locks on the doll. "She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is. Take good care of her, Hermione. She won't break if you drop her, but don't cut her hair." She warned, prompting Lucius and Severus to share a smirk as they recalled the time Bellatrix took a scissors to the dolls hair when Narcissa was seventeen. That had been the first time Narcissa's rage ever outdid Bellatrix's.

"I will, I promise." Hermione breathed, clutching the doll tightly. With large eyes, she looked up at Severus. "Pwofessor Snape, look at how pretty she is!"

"Are you going to make her call you 'Pwofessor Snape' the entire time she's in your care?" Lucius smirked. "I think that'd drive you'd mad before long."

"What is she to call me?" Severus demanded, knowing Lucius made a good point.

"Severus?" Lucius said, acting as if Severus failed to realize something blatantly obvious.

Severus scowled but looked down at Hermione who was still staring at the new toy. "Hermione?"

"Huh?" She asked, looking expectantly up at Severus with a look of pure adoration on her face.

"You don't have to call me Professor Snape. I'd prefer if you'd call me Severus." He spoke the name slowly, hoping she wouldn't manage to butcher the name.

"Sevewus?" She asked. "Okay." She nodded. "But will you call me Hermione and not Granger anymore?"

"Deal." Severus agreed. "But it's been a long day, Hermione, and I think it's time for little girls to go to bed."

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"You're getting a hang of this, Severus." Lucius complimented, walking with Narcissa to the floo as Severus stone up with Hermione in his arms. "I've always known you'd be a good father, Severus."

"Yes, well Fate had a funny way of messing things up, doesn't it?" Severus snarled, softening his scowl when Hermione looked fearful. "Thanks for the help, today."

"Our pleasure." Narcissa grinned in a way that Severus hadn't seen in awhile as she leaned down to plant a kiss on Hermione's forehead. "Goodnight Severus, goodnight Hermione."

"Yes, goodnight." Lucius patted Hermione's head.

"Bye, goodnight!" Hermione said loudly, waving as Hermione and Lucius disappeared through the flames.

"Alright, let's get you to bed. I think Narcissa left you more surprises on your bed." He mentioned the plushies, while he opened the door to the newly formed bedroom. Severus gasped at the same time Hermione did. Lucius and Narcissa had spared nothing in making a dream room for a girl. Clearly they enjoyed having had the chance to do so. The walls were done in a beautiful green, and complimented the silver blankets atop the large bed. A large bed that was filled with dozens of plushies. In addition to a wardrobe stuffed with great amounts of clothes and shoes, a trunk sat in a corner, filled to the brim with all sorts of toys.

"I get to sleep in that!?" Hermione yelled, forgetting her promise not to yell in his ears.

"You sure do." Severus agreed. "But first, let's see if Narcissa's brought you any pajamas." He searched through the clothes until he spotted a whole section of sleeping gowns. "Which one would you like to wear?"

"Green!" Hermione said excitedly, grabbing ahold of a gown that was dark green with silver trim.

"Alright." Severus settled her on the bed and handed her the gown. "Can you dress yourself?"

"Uh-huh." She grinned proudly, beginning the process.

Severus quickly turned away as worked, waiting patiently.

"I'm done!" She yelled, a smile on her face when Severus turned back around.

"Very good." Severus praised, lifting her off the covers before tucking beneath them. He took care to make sure she had enough pillows and covers.

"Will you read me a story?" She asked hopefully. "And can I have a nightlight?"

"Sure." Severus gave in. "But afterwards its straight to bed."

"Okay." She nodded, watching him with scrutinizing eyes as he grabbed a book off a bookshelf Narcissa had placed in the room full of children's books. Her eyes brightened when he grabbed Cinderella.

"Alright, here we go." He lay atop the covers next to her, surprised when she snuggled up to him, a soft smile on her face.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione woke up slowly, scared to find herself in a completely strange room. She started to panic until she remembered that she was with a nice man named Severus, and that this was her room now. She relaxed, clutching Dotty closely, as she sat up in her bed. What time was it? She scooted up off the bed, walking over to the trunk beneath the window. Climbing up on its lid, she pushed the curtains aside and looked outside at the moon, wondering how in the world she could see outside when they were in the basement of the school. She knew magic existed, which explained a lot about herself, but she didn't really know how any of it worked. Maybe she could get Severus to tell her later.

Scooting off from the trunk she left her room, needing to use the toilet. She walked slowly and softly, not wanting to wake up Severus. She found the bathroom easily enough, as the door was left open. The light wasn't on, but after jumping up a few times she was able to flick it on. Relieved, she looked around the dark bathroom for a stool so she could reach the potty. She looked around for a long time, but found nothing to use, so she settled for the very difficult task of lifting herself up on the toilet. It took a very long time, but finally she succeeded. Proud, she tried to force herself to go, but found she was unable despite the fact that she really had to go. She bit her lip and looked over at the door. What if someone walked in on her while Severus was sleeping? That thought made it even harder to go, and after a long few minutes on the toilet, she gave up and jumped off.

She was heading back to her own bedroom when she stopped halfway in the corridor. She was worried that someone might walk in on her in there and touch her. She bit her lip and went to the door that had to be Severus's. He had been nice to her, maybe he wouldn't mind if she snuck into his room and slept beside him on his bed. She wouldn't make any noise or move at all. He wouldn't even know she was there, and she would sneak out in the morning before he realized she was there.

Opening the door silently, she tiptoed over to his large bed. With great difficulty she struggled to get up on his bed. Using the blankets, she finally made it up and crawled beneath the blankets, pressing up against him gently. She still had to go badly, but if she fell asleep it wouldn't matter because she would forget all about that problem.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Severus startled when the door to his bedroom opened and was about to grab his wand to hex the intruder, when he remembered he had a young child in his care. He kept still, wanting to see what the girl would do or what she wanted, when she began to jump in an attempt to get into his bed. When that failed she used his blankets, finally managing to crawl up on his bed and under the blankets. He gave a slight start when she snuggled up to his side, but it went unnoticed by her.

Rolling his eyes beneath his closed lids, he went back to sleep as soon as he heard the light breathing coming from her. As annoyed as he was that he was woken up, because it was hard enough for him to get to sleep these days, he found it hard to be upset at the girl for needing comfort. Hadn't he wanted the same thing as a small child- only to realize he had no one to turn too? He could allow her to have a decent time with him while she was small, he wouldn't torture a small child. He wouldn't coddle her, but he would be nice.

So he lay awake for a while, thinking about what ingredients would likely be needed to create an antidote. And then what process or processes would need to be used. Before long he felt himself giving into sleep again, and after a lengthy conversation with himself about the merits of lily root, he was asleep again.

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Severus snapped his eyes open, wondering what had occurred to rouse him from sleep yet again. He stood still, listening intently for any sounds that might betray danger or trouble. He heard nothing out of the normal, nor did he smell anything like smoke. Sitting up, he cast his eyes around the room, on edge.

"Sevus, are you angry?" Hermione whispered, startling Severus.

"Why would I be an-" He cut off his sentence, because when he looked down at her he saw a puddle. "Have an accident did we?" He asked, trying to keep calm. It was an accident, accidents happened.

She nodded, eyes wide with fear. "There was no one to watch the door to make sure no one walked in." She said softly, tears spilling from her face.

Severus rubbed sleep from his eyes. "Come on, let's get you into another sleeping gown." He scooped her up off the bed, calling for Mitsy to clean the bed while he carried Hermione into the bathroom.

"Alright, young lady," Severus set her down atop the toilet lid and pulled off her wet clothes, slipping a blue gown over her head, "You're going to have to tell me about this fear of people walking in on you." He handed her a pair of underwear, and she slipped them on quickly.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it or I'll get in trouble too." She said quietly, looking down at the floor.

There were those red flags again. "Hermione, who touches you when they walk in one you?" He demanded, recalling his own past.

She was silent, tears falling down her reddening face as she stared at the ground.

"Hermione, you won't be in trouble. You can talk to me." He said softly, grabbing her and settling her down on his lap as he reseated himself on the toilet.

"My uncle." She admitted, crying heavily. "Father tells me to be quiet or I'll get in trouble."

Severus nearly cursed out loud, until he remembered the young child in his lap. "Hermione, no one should ever touch you like that. It is not your fault, and you will never be in trouble for that." He said seriously, gently turning her head to make her look up at him. "That was wrong of your them to do that."

"You're not angry?" She sobbed, burying her face in his chest.

"Of course not, child." Severus soothed, rubbing her back gently. "It's not your fault, they were awful to do that."

He squeezed her tightly, letting her sob heavily for a long half hour until she finally calmed down enough to let Severus wipe her face with a towel. She leaned heavily into him, her breathing returning to normal. "Thank you, Sevus." She sniffed.

"You're alright child. Breathe." He coaxed. "Shh...shush." He held her tightly. "Next time you need to use the bathroom, just ask me."

"And you'll make sure no one walks in?"

"Yes, no one will walk in on you." He promised. "Do you want to go back to sleep now? You can sleep with me tonight."

She nodded, allowing Severus to lift her and carry her back to his bedroom. Ignoring the fact that it wasn't entirely proper, he slipped her beneath his covers and crawled in himself. Pulling her close, he allowed her to snuggle until she fell asleep. He himself knew that he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep, so he stared up at the ceiling wondering about his next course of action as Hermione began sleeping.

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Hermione woke up and turned, expecting to see Severus still in bed because she always woke up early. She frowned and slipped out of bed, figuring maybe he woke up even earlier than she did. Hopefully he hadn't left her alone for the day like her parents always did, she loved spending time with him.

She was pleased to find him in the living room, and even happier to see Narcissa and Lucius. She ran into Severus's arm, laughing when he caught her and settled him in his lap. "Morning!" She yelled.

"How did you sleep, Hermione?" Narcissa asked, sitting on the couch with her husband while she and Severus sat on a chair.

"Good, Dotty is nice to cuddle with." She informed her.

"I'm glad to hear that," Narcissa smiled, "But why don't we get you dressed and your hair brushed while Severus and Lucius order breakfast."

"Okay." Hermione slithered off Severus's lap and jumped into Narcissa's. She gave an 'oof' noise, but didn't seem angry as she carried her into her bedroom.

"Alright, let's see..." Narcissa opened the wardrobe and rifled through the clothes, a thoughtful look on her face. "What would you like to wear today?"

"Can I wear that dress?" She asked, pointing out a purple dress with lots of lace.

"Sure, sweetie." Narcissa grabbed the dress and placed her on the bed, dressing her even though Hermione could do it herself. She allowed it though, because she liked Narcissa and it wasn't hurting anything. "Let's get your hair combed out. Would you like to do Dotty's hair and dress her while I comb yours?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded and Narcissa waved her wand, bringing a trunk up onto the bed. Opening it, Hermione was faced with tons of doll clothes and she smiled, grabbing a dress that looked like the one she was dressed in.

"Alright, let's get you hair combed." Narcissa sat on the bed, placing her in her lap and began brushing her hair, doing it gently unlike her mother. Hermione happily dressed Dotty up as Narcissa began spreading some lotion looking stuff in her hair that smelled like flowers.

"What are you putting in my hair?" She asked, buttoning up the back of Dotty's dress.

"It's hair balm, dear, it'll help settle your hair down." Narcissa explained, capping the jar of balm and setting it aside. "Would you like a purple ribbon for your hair?"

"Yes! Can Dotty have one too?"

Narcissa laughed. "Of course, why don't you fix her hair while I tie your ribbon in?"

Hermione frowned. "I don't know how."

"I'll show you, dear."

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Lucius was talking happily with Severus, when Hermione came flying into the room and into Severus's arms. Narcissa came seconds later, a dreamy look on her face.

"Severus, Narcissa taught me to plait hair! I did Dotty's all by myself!" She seemed immensely proud and Lucius smirked at the childlike innocence he had not seen in such a long time. The children, young and teenager alike, he had been seeing around Hogsmeade simply weren't allowed to be carefree anymore. They were so morose and somber, and it was a nice change to see the untroubled look.

"Great job!" Severus praised, the look on his face betraying the fact that he was actually starting to enjoy the four year old's company. Lucius grinned, maybe this would be good for Severus. Severus was much too stressed lately, maybe Hermione would take the edge off.

"Are you hungry, child?" Lucius asked, patting an empty seat on the couch between himself and Narcissa. He was pleasantly surprised when she nodded, climbing up beside him and smiling up into his face. "I'll take that as a yes." He smirked, handing the cherub a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs.

"Are you Sevus's older brother?" Hermione asked after taking a large bite of bacon.

"Yes." Lucius confirmed, grabbing her arm when she attempted to wipe her face on her sleeve. "Dignified girls use napkins." He reprimanded gently, handing her a square to wipe her face.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly. "Do you have the same Mother or the same Father?"

Lucius pondered for a moment about how to answer that question before deciding to be honest with the hope that the girl was clever enough to understand without asking a barrage of questions. "Severus and I aren't blood related, but I took him under my wing when we were school." He explained slowly. "But blood doesn't matter, not in this regard."

"So you're older than Sevus?"

"Yes, four years older."

"Sevus is a good brother, isn't he?" She asked rhetorically, stuffing more bacon into her mouth.

"Yes, yes he is." Lucius smirked. "Be sure to take good care of him, Hermione."

"I will." She insisted, oblivious to the glare Severus was sending his way.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione stood and stared into the fireplace with such a ridiculously sad pout on her face, that Severus could hardly stand to look at it any longer. She had been that way since Lucius and Narcissa left, shortly after breakfast, rooted to the spot in the apparent hope that if she stared into the flames long enough they would turn green and the Malfoy's would return. She clutched Dotty forlornly, finding comfort in her only link to the married couple that had just left.

"Hermione." Severus waited until she looked away from the floor and into his face. "They will be back, child. Why do you look so somber?"

"Did they leave cause I was bothersome? I'll be quiet next time." She insisted, pressing the doll up to her cheek.

"You weren't bothersome, child. Lucius and Narcissa had to leave because Lucius has a business trip in America and he likes to take Narcissa with him. They'll be back the day in two days."

"Two days?" Hermione's forlorn look only increased. "What part of America are they going to?" She walked sadly over to Severus who was sitting in his favorite job attempting to read "Deus In Tenebras," an ancient book dedicated to explaining all the good dark arts could do if they were only applied as such.

"North America." Severus elaborated.

"What part?" Hermione continued, shuffling over to him and holding her arms up.

"New York." Severus replied, settling her on his lap. "What are Lucius and Narcissa going to be doing in New York?" "Lucius works for the ministry and his job is to make sure people remain happy with the minister. Narcissa goes with because she enjoys travelling and shopping in new places."

"They'll be back in two days?" She pressed, looking worried that they might never return.

"Yes." Severus promised, giving her a brief squeeze. "You're only stuck with just me for a couple days."

"I don't mind." She smiled, dimples showing. "I'll like having you to myself."

Severus, for the life of him, could not figure out why anyone would say such a thing. He scoured his mind, trying to figure out if she had bumped her head or suffered any other head trauma that might lead her to spout such nonsense- much less believe it. He couldn't remember any such incident, but perhaps the potion accident addled her mind?

"Sevus what book is that?" Hermione asked, touching the aging leather that bound the book together. She was gentle, her reverence for books clearly having been within her since early on.

"Deus In Tenebras," Severus drawled, thankful that she was gentle with his books.

"What does that mean? It's not English." She said knowingly.

"That is because it is Latin. It means Beauty in Darkness."

"What does that mean?" Hermione continued her questions, looking excited to be learning.

"It means that sometimes the things that seem dark and scary at first really aren't all that bad." Severus offered. "Like me."

"I didn't think you were scary." Hermione argued. "You were kind and gentle. Do people think you're scary?"

"Yes." Severus admitted.

"Why?"

Where to begin?

"Because I am not a nice person, child. I don't know why you think such things." He looked away from the unwavering brown eyes. "It all started when I sorted into Slytherin."

"People shouldn't think people are scary because they're Slytherin." Hermione scowled. "It's not nice. I like people if they're nice. If they're nice nothing else matters."

"I'm not nice, Hermione." He argued, resisting the urge to tell her that while people could be kind, that didn't mean they deserved unyielding loyalty. Manipulators could be kind.

"Yes you are." She said firmly, snuggling closer to him.

"Think what you will." Severus gave in, figuring it was pointless to argue on the matter any longer.

"I like you more than my father. You should have kids, Sevus. You're a good Daddy."

Severus felt his chest constrict and feared the stupidity of the words had given him a heart attack, but after a few moments the pain abated and he was able to make eye-contact with the clueless girl who did not danger and darkness followed him like a shadow. "I think you're enough for now." He said dryly, not know what else he could say.

"Sevus? Are you sad? Your face looks angry, but your eyes are sad."

"My eyes are sad?" Severus questioned, pondering the fact that his usual mask had fallen away and he was displaying emotions openly. She nodded somberly and stood up on his lap, planting a kiss on his forehead before Severus could sit her back down.

"Don't be sad, Sevus." '

He sighed."I'll try to not be sad." He lied, trying to recall how being truly happy felt and how one went about finding such an emotion. "Would you like me to read to you?" He asked, wanting to change the subject quickly. She only nodded, resting against him and fitting perfectly in the crook of his arm. Accioing a giant book of fairy-tales he flipped through the pages until he came upon "Beauty and the Beast," figuring that would be a suitable story. 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Minerva knocked sharply on Severus's door, crossing her arms as she waited for Severus to open the hidden door in the deepest catacombs of the dungeons. "I don't know what you were thinking Albus." She muttered, glaring at the wizard who stood next to her with a calm look on his face.

"I don't know what you're thinking, Minerva, actually going to Severus's private rooms without an invitation is quite dangerous." "

And leaving a small child with him is dangerous!" She retorted. "Especially a small child!"

"Honestly, Minerva, do you think so little of Severus?"

"I respect Severus, and I like him, but I do not think he is the prime candidate for guardianship of a child!" She shook her head. "And I honestly do think he has enough on his plate as it is, Albus. You're overworking the poor boy." Albus just grinned, his eyes twinkling in a way that was endearing at the same time it was frustrating.

"Just see for yourself Minerva, Hermione is well taken care of and she even seems to have become attached to Severus."

"We'll just see about that." Minerva said dryly, looking away from Albus when she heard the door open after suddenly materializing on a blank expanse of wall.

"Can I ask what you two are doing at the door to my private rooms- uninvited I might add?" Severus was clearly unamused, but the child in his arms was anything but. Hermione was silent, although she had a look of fear on her face as she looked at Minerva and Albus, and she clutched tightly to a chunk of Severus's robes.

"Who is she?" Hermione whispered, peeking at Minerva with worry in her brown eyes.

"Get in." Severus ordered, moving aside to allow Albus and Minerva to enter his living room that was dark, yet tastefully decorated. "That is Minerva, Hermione. She's a friend."

"A nice friend?" The girl questioned, still hiding her face in Severus's chest as he seated himself in his chair while Minerva and Albus seated themselves on the couch. "If you don't make her angry." Severus assured, his voice not as sharp as it usually was. "She was in the hospital wing, remember?"

Hermione nodded, but refused to do more than stare at Minerva and cling tightly to Severus in evident shyness. Other than the fear on her face, she looked quite well, her hair neatly tied back and properly clothed in a dress. She even had a doll tucked beneath her arm, so she clearly wasn't being neglected or ignored. Not that Severus would ever purposely ignore a child, Minerva's sole fear had been that he had too much on his plate and that his stress would lead him to bark at the child. She was pleased to see he was handling it so well.

"Forgive me Severus, I'm rather protective of my lions as are you of your snakes." Minerva excused herself. "I'm glad to see things are going so well here."

"As opposed to what, Minerva?" He drawled, anger in his eyes. "I am by no means a kind man, but I most certainly am not a child abuser."

Minerva sighed, exasperated that Severus always jumped to conclusions and inferred insults when none were intended. "Severus honestly, if it was one of your Slytherin's you'd be checking in on them as well." "Be that as it may, I wouldn't be intruding in one your private rooms." Severus clearly despised having people in his rooms, and Minerva made note to keep that in mind. Perhaps Albus was right, it was dangerous to come uninvited. 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"How are you child?" Minerva asked Hermione, who was still rooted in Severus's lap, much to his chagrin. He did not like anyone seeing his soft side, he could tolerate Hermione seeing it, and the Malfoys, but no one else.

"Good. I like it here." She grinned, finally looking at Minerva full on.

"I'm glad to here that, Hermione." Minerva gave a small smile, before looking at Severus. "When will you begin brewing the antidote, Severus? Do you need anything?"

"If I can have Monday and Tuesday off, I dare say I can finish the antidote very quickly." Severus hinted heavily, grateful Minerva could grasp the concept of subtlety.

"I see no reason why not." She agreed, looking to Albus for confirmation.

"I don't see why not, two days off from potions won't hurt the students any." Albus agreed, fiddling with his wand in a distracted manner that made Severus wonder if the man grasped the severity of the situation or not.

"What of her parents, Albus? Are you filing charges against them, or is this one more child that will be forced to returned to homes filled with unsavory conditions?" He dug the blade in deep, but Albus remained unphased, making Severus's blood boil with nearly unrestrained anger.

"We will have to wait to file charges, Severus." Albus said, a calculating look on his face.

"What?!" Minerva beat Severus to it, and she glared heavily at her employer. "What do you mean it will have to wait? Do you intend to let the Granger's finish their holiday before they're punished?"

"Minerva, do calm yourself. You wouldn't want to frighten the child." Albus prodded, gesturing at Hermione who still seemed happy and secure in his lap.

"She is fine, but I can not say the same for her parents. They will the day-" Minerva was cut off mid-rant by Albus holding up a hand.

"Minerva, I assure you the matter will be dealt with. But for now presses will not be charged. If word gets out that Hermione is deaged, they will take her and place her elsewhere. Potentially in a house that would allow Voldemort to easily slip in a grab her- using her as leverage against Harry."

"I'm not happy about this Albus!" Minerva barked.

"Can you carry on this conversation in Albus's office?" Severus demanded, clutching a now-crying Hermione closer to his chest. "The girl is upset now, and it's not Minerva who's done it!"

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The two older people left quickly, squabbling on the way. Well, Minerva was raking Albus across the the coals while he just smiled and ushered her outside the door. Severus, however, was stuck with the aftermath of Albus suggesting the possibility of Hermione being placed elsewhere while said child was clearly present and listening. Leave it to Albus to create a mess and then leave it for others fix. A little habit of Albus's that was getting rather annoying.

"Hermione, no one is going to place you anywhere else but here with me." He promised, vowing then and there to make sure she did not become a pawn to Albus. He wasn't sure what she could be used for, but he wasn't going to find out. "I won't let them." He added, relaxing when the tone seemed to work and Hermione wiped at her eyes with her palm.

"Promise?" She asked, betraying the fear in her eyes that he might be tricking her.

"Yes, you're stuck with me." He said firmly, handing her a handkerchief. "Dignified ladies use handkerchiefs to wipe their faces." He reprimanded softly, wondering why Slytherin parents and pure bloods seemed to be the only ones to instill their children with proper manners from an early age.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly, much the same way when Lucius had corrected her. "I'll be digifnied." She promised.

"Dignified." Severus corrected, wiping a stray tear she had missed. "Now, would you like to help me with a potion before lunch?"

"Yes!" She looked as if Severus had just awarded her the entire world, instead of offered her the chance to do nothing more than pour in a few ingredients. What a silly, naive girl. A silly, naive, sweet girl.

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Severus, despite himself, had allowed Hermione to do much more than just toss in ingredients like he had planned. However she had managed to worm her way into his good graces was beyond him, but one look down at her as she shredded daisy roots had him thinking it was maybe the gap-toothed smile and dimpled cheeks. Or maybe it was her fascination with his work, and the way she seemed to be pleased to be learning the fine art of potioneering that won him over. Was it a combination? He had always pictured any children he had with Lily being brilliant at potions, and quickly rising to greatness with the double knowledge Lily and he would have passed down. Even if he hadn't had a child with Lily, he had still assumed any child he would bear would be a natural at potions and that he would get to spend hours bonding with them as they brewed in tandem. Melancholy started to settle in then, a sadness that was soon disrupted by a bubbly voice. "The potion is light blue now, we add the dragon scales don't we?"

"You were paying attention, good girl." Severus stood behind her in front of the cauldron while she stood on a step stool to see. "But first we add the lily root, remember? That is why you were shredding them."

"Oh." She nodded, her fist full of root. She waited until he nodded before she dropped the pile in, smiling in satisfaction as she 'helped' stir the cauldron with only one hand on the stick. "Now we stir...eight times?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Severus questioned, carefully making figure eight stirs.  
She looked unsure, but it a manner very like her older self, she said confidently, "Telling you."

Severus nodded. "It is eight stirs, very good Hermione. Five points to Gryffindor." He spoke without speaking, distracted as he scanned the potion for anything out of the ordinary. While the antidote he was making didn't exist, yet, he still her theories about how it should look. The aqua color assured him they were heading in the correct direction.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed. "What's Gryffindor?"

Severus nearly cursed himself for being stupid enough to mention aspects of her older life thus leading him into more answering time for the always questioning girl. "Gryffindor is...a club. There are four clubs in this school. When someone in a club does well, professors award points." He sprinkled in powdered bone as he spoke, ready to throw Hermione aside should the cauldron start sputtering or the flames flare out.

"What club is yours?" Hermione wanted to know.

"My club is Slytherin." He replied, letting the cauldron simmer. "Your club is Gryffindor."

"I don't remember joining a club." She protested. "You were born a Gryffindor, Hermione." "I don't want to be a Gryffindor, I want to be a Slytherin. Like you, Sevus." She sounded tremendously sad, and Severus ever regretted his kindness of adding points to Gryffindor. A kindness that would likely go unnoticed anyways.

"Well, you don't really officially join the club until you turn eleven, so technically you're not a Gryffindor right this minute." He was quick to offer the cunning answer.

"Can I be an not official Slytherin then, instead of a not official Gryffindor?" Severus could hardly believe one-third of the golden trio was asking him such a question.

"Sure, from now on you are an honorary Slytherin." He allowed, smirking despite himself. Minerva would have a heart attack before the antidote was finished if Hermione kept displaying Slytherin characteristics and loyalty. "

What's honorary mean, Sevus?"

"Honorary is a better word for not official." Severus tutored.

"Are you my honorary daddy?" Hermione asked, right as Severus finished placing a stasis charm on his cauldron. "Let's get some lunch." He said quickly, lifting her from the stool as he felt the pain of another heart attack set in. Perhaps he should have Poppy check that, it wouldn't do for the orders spy to drop of a coronary.


	9. Chapter 9

"We hold our forks like this." Severus corrected Hermione, positioning the silverware correctly in Hermione's hands. "And we keep our elbows off the table." He said, gently pushing her elbows from the small circle table he had placed in the middle of his attached kitchen.

"Okay, Sevus." She agreed, taking a now much neater bite of the lasagna. "And dignified girls use napkins for their faces." She said knowingly, grabbing a napkin to nab at her cheek that had been smeared with sauce before Severus had corrected her manners.

"Indeed they do." He praised, amazed to find he had an appetite at the moment. "You are being very dignified."

"Thank you, Sevus." She beamed, nibbling on her garlic bread. "When do I get to see my kitty?" She asked suddenly.

"Finish up your lunch, and I'll we'll see about obtaining the thing." Severus wouldn't mind allowed the furry thing to stay in his quarters. Cats were much less annoying than dogs, and less needy. They'd go to his office and from there he'd send for Weasley to bring the cat.

"What's her name?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"His name." Severus amended. He was almost certain he had overheard the older Granger gushing about the thing as being a 'good boy.' "And he's called Crookshanks." He replied, wondering where a girl as smart as Granger could come up with such a name.

"What kind of name is that?!" She demanded, a look of disgust on her face.

"Lucius adopted him from someone who didn't want him. That person already named him, and since Crookshanks was used to his name Lucius decided to let him keep it."

"Like you adopted me?"

There were the heart attack pains...again. "Sure." He offered, figuring that would end such a conversation. "Are you all finished with lunch?" He asked, noticing her nearly empty plate.

"I'm full." She nodded, wiping her fingers and face and that of Dotty's who had 'helped' her finish her food. Severus had allowed the play, figuring Hermione and the doll had plenty of clothes to change into and that children needed to be allowed time where they could be a bit messy. Event those with the purest of blood allowed their children at least a few minutes a day to play about without being 'proper.'

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"Got you!" Ron sighed in relief when he finally managed to keep hold of the cat without it scratching and biting to free itself.

"Finally." Harry muttered darkly, his face full of claw marks as Crookshanks had decided to be ornery and difficult ever since Hermione had had the accident.

"Let's go." Ron huffed, struggling to keep hold of the now yowling cat as the common room stared on in amusement.

"Make sure Hermione's still alive!" Neville squeaked.

"Don't worry, Neville. I'm going to demand to see her if she's not there." Ron promised, already halfway out the door. "Come on, Harry!" He yelled, flustered as the cat in his arms was biting his wrist and Snape had wanted them at his office ten minutes ago. No doubt the man was already irritated at having to care for Hermione, he didn't want to make him any angrier.

"If he wanted the damn beast so badly, he could have come and got it himself, couldn't he?" Harry muttered darkly, as they hurried to Snape's office.

"Why don't you tell him that when we get there, Harry?" Ron snapped, wincing as a chunk of flesh was torn open by talons.

"Maybe I will." He spat, shooting Peeves such a harsh look as he passed overhead that the poltergeist didn't even stop to harass them other than to blow a few raspberries.

"Brilliant, Harry. Make things even worse for her." He was still rather irritated at his best mate for causing such harm to Hermione. Even though he knew it was unintentional, he had just started taking safety in the potions classroom seriously and couldn't understand why Harry couldn't. "Bloody hell!" He yelled as Crookshanks bit his chin.

"Look, let's just get the cat to Snape." Harry sighed. "And you know it was an accident. I'd never do that to her."

"I know." Ron slumped his shoulders as the hurried down the steps of the dungeon. "I'm just stressed is all."

"You're telling me." Harry muttered darkly, fingering his scar gently as they arrived at the door to Snape's office. Harry knocked sharply as the cat dug his claws deeper into Ron's shoulder as it fought for escape.

"Enter!" Snape called out, his voice the familiar drawl although Ron felt it was less menacing than normal.

Harry opened the door and Ron quickly entered, relaxing when Harry closed the door. He still kept a firm hold of him though, fearful if he released Crookshanks he would wreak havoc in Snape's office.

"You are late." Snape drawled, an unamused look on his face.

"Crookshanks didn't want to cooperate." Ron explained, staring at the little girl in Snape's lap. She didn't have any bruises or marks, wasn't crying, and most importantly she seemed happy. Even the doll in her arms looked well-cared for, and Ron for the life of him, couldn't figure out how to mask his surprise.

"Sevus, who are they?" She asked, tugging on his robes.

"I'm Ron, and this is Harry." Ron smiled. "And this is your cat."

"Put him down, Weasley." Snape demanded. "Unless you enjoy having your flesh mauled."

Ron hesitated but released the beast, surprised when he jumped on Snape's desk and crawled onto Hermione's lap and started to purr loudly at the reunion. Hermione giggled and buried her face in the pur.

"Five points to Gryffindor for your troubles, Weasley and Potter." Snape's words nearly had Ron dropping from shock. "As you can see your friend had not suffered any harm in my care, see your ways out."

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"Can Crookshanks sleep with me?" Hermione asked, as Severus placed the animal's litter box off in a corner of her room.

Casting a few sanitary charms and anti-smell charms to boot, he nodded. "Yes, Hermione. He can sleep with you." Severus got a brilliant idea then. "And he will protect you and make sure no one walks in on you in your room."

"Will you still protect me too?"

"Of course, child. Always." He soothed, holding out a hand for her. "Now, do you want to stay and play or would you like to help me make biscuits?" He really was rather pecking now, and decided to take advantage of the fact before it went away. And while he could have the house elves bring him some or eat some store-bought, he prefered his own cooking. As well as being a potions master he was a good baker/chef. Which only made sense seeing it was nearly the same concepts.

"I can help you!?" She asked, looking the same way she had when he allowed her to help him brew. "But what about the potion?"

"That has to settle for a while, Cherub. After supper it should be done and you can help me with it more."

"What's a Cherub, Sevus? She asked, grabbing a hold of his hand with both of hers.

"A Cherub is an angel, Hermione." With shock he noticed he had awarded the pet name to her, almost without thinking. But it fit so well. She was an angel.

"I'm an angel?" She asked, following him into the kitchen.

"Yes." He said firmly, looking her in the eyes so she knew he was serious. "And most importantly, you're my Cherub."

"For always?" She asked.

"For always." He confirmed, pulling a stool over in front of the sink so she could see and help.

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"Alright, Cherub. Crack the egg and put it in this bowl." Severus instructed her, showing her how to with one egg before allowing her to do the other.

She nodded and bit her lip, being very careful to do it correctly. If she did everything perfectly, Severus would never want her to leave. Despite her caution, the egg exploded in her hand. She gasped, fearful Severus would call her a bothersome mistake. Instead he grabbed a towel and wiped her hand clean.

"Gentler, Hermione." He said softly, handing her another egg. "Try again."

Hermione blinked, overjoyed that as time went on she was more and more sure Severus would never get rid of her. Maybe she didn't have to be super perfect. She was still very careful though, and was pleased when she did it correctly this time. Peeking up, she saw Severus smiling big for the first time and she felt very good inside.

"Now we put in a teaspoon of vanilla extract." Severus told her. "But we're just going to use a tablespoon because that makes the biscuits better."

"That's not following the recipe." She protested.

"Sometimes I add to the recipes when I know that it'll make things better. Things aren't always black and white." Severus didn't sound angry she had argued, and she relaxed as she poured the capful of vanilla extract into the bowl. "Now, the recipes says we should put in a cup of chocolate chips. But what do you think?"

"I think we should use the whole bag!" She grinned, puring the chocolates in.

"I think that is a brilliant idea." Severus agreed. "That is exactly what I do, too."

"We're alike, Sevus?"

"More so than I ever thought." He nodded. "Now we're going to put the dough onto the pans." He said softly.

"With what?" She asked.

"With our hands, silly." Severus said, demonstrating my placing a tiny ball on the pan.

"But is that dignified?"

"We washed our hands, didn't we?" He asked, pushing her hand into the dough. "And it's okay to be undignified sometimes. Not often, but sometimes."

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"These are the yummiest biscuits ever!" Hermione gushed, all but inhaling the biscuits along with Severus as they sat in his favorite chair. He had brought a plate of ten into the living room, wanting to leave room for supper, but he found that Hermione hadn't even whined about the fact.

"Thank you." Severus drawled, pleased when he didn't need feel the need to vomit after eating his third double-chocolate biscuit. Maybe he'd even be able to sleep for more than a few hours tonight. "You were a good helper."

"I wasn't a bother?" She asked, resting her head on his chest.

"Not in the least." Severus assured, rubbing her back and setting the plate aside. "What would you like to do now?" He asked.

"Whatever you want to do." She said too quickly, clearly wanting to keep Severus pleased. Severus knew exactly how that felt, and the punishment that came with disappointment.

"Hermione, you don't have to worry about angering me. I will never send you away for it, nor will I think you a bother. Now, what do you want to do?" He asked again. "Do you want to play with your toys?"

She frowned. "Yes, and I'll be very quiet." She promised. "You won't even hear me."

Severus sighed. "You don't have to be quiet. You are allowed to make noise, just don't scream and yell unless you are really hurt."

"Will you play with me?" She asked, hopefully.

"Sure." Severus agreed, acioing her toy trunk out into the living room. "What do you want to play?"

"Can we dress up my stuffed animals and Dotty?" She asked, sitting down on the carpet in front of the trunk and pulling out a pink case. Opening the pink case, she began pulling out alarming amounts of clothes- both doll clothes and dress up clothes Hermione's side. Cursing inwardly, he figured dressing up a doll or plushie was better than a pretend tea party. He waved his wand, summoning the plushies from her bed- all 25 of them.

"Alright." Severus sighed, slipping down to sit on the floor. "What would you like me to do?"

"You put this tie on Thomas." She handed him a black tie. "And be careful with him cause he's my favorite besides Dotty."

"Which one is Thomas, Cherub?"

"Him." She handed him a large green snake with silver life-like eyes, and Severus resolved to have Hermione holding the thing the next time Minerva came around. Perhaps he should be taking pictures. Teasing Granger once she was back to normal would be a new form of torture. He shook his head as he tied the tie around Thomas's neck, knowing he'd never be able to harass Granger now that he knew of her background.


	10. Chapter 10

Severus frowned as he stared into his cauldron, shaking his head. "Well, Hermione, this potion didn't turn out. We'll have to try again tomorrow."

"Did I ruin in?"

"No, Cherub. This was an experimental potion. It doesn't exist yet, so it will take time before we can make it correctly." He wasn't surprised, he hadn't expected results so quickly. "Would you like to help me make a quick pepper-up potion before bed?" He asked the girl, vanishing the mess in the cauldron. "It is a potion that helps people who don't feel well."

"Yes!" She smiled brightly, sitting down at the table where they prepared ingredients earlier that day for the antidote. "What shall I prepare first?" She mimicked, almost making Severus chuckle out loud at the serious look on her face as she quoted his earlier words.

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"You did, Hermione." Severus praised, a couple hours later, as he bottled the potion in an unbreakable vial. "I'll let you hold on to this."

"I get to keep it!?" She asked.

"Of course. It's your first potion and you made it mostly all by yourself." He praised, only slightly exaggerating. "You should be very proud."

"Are you?" She asked.

"Yes, I am very proud of you." Seeing as he knew plenty of fourth years who still failed to make the easy potion even with his assistance. "But it's late, Hermione. Young girls should be getting to bed."

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Hermione lay beneath her warm covers, her plushies properly returned and Dotty beneath her right arm and Thomas beneath her left. She was very happy as she watched Severus grab the book called Little Red Riding Hood. "Snuggle with me?"

He nodded, and didn't sigh this time, as he crawled atop the bed and blankets and pulled her close. "Are you ready for the story?"

She nodded, using his shoulder as a pillow as he used his free hand to hold the book and turn the pages. "Yes, Sevus." She yawned, smiling kindly up at the man that was hundred thousand times better than her father and mother.

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"Sevus, can we do potions tomorrow?" Hermione asked, after Severus had just finished the book.

"Yes, Hermione." He agreed, making sure the blankets were tight around her. "Good night, Cherub."

"Night Sevus." She whispered, turning in the bed a bit so she could plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Good night." He repeated softly. "And if you get scared tonight, you can always come and find me, alright?"

She nodded. "And if I have to go potty?" She looked very worried.

"Yes." He promised, kissing his hand then pressing it to her forehead. "If you need anything." He clarified. "Now get some sleep, Cherub."

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Severus was happily asleep when he felt the all too familiar pang on his forearm. Cursing loudly, he flew out of bed, throwing on his death eater robes and rushing to the door before he stopped suddenly. Hermione. He couldn't just leave the girl alone. Thinking quickly he ran to the fireplace, throwing in the powder and sticking his head in the flames until he found himself in Minerva's rooms. "Minerva!" He hollered loudly, pleased when the witch hurried into her living room, her tartan gown flying behind her.

"Severus, what on earth-"

"I have to go!" He said harried. "You need to watch Hermione until I get back." Albus was out for the night after all, doing who knew what.

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Minerva was napping in Severus's chair when she was awoken by something tugging on her night gown. With a jerk she looked down and saw Hermione, that doll beneath her arm and a snake beneath her other. If she hadn't known any better, Minerva would have sworn she was watching over a Slytherin child. She'd have words with Severus about Slytherin'izing her cub.

"Where is Sevus?" Hermione demanded, looking around the living room with panic in her eyes as she realized her caretaker was nowhere to be found.

"Severus had..." Minerva stopped, taking Hermione's being muggle born into account. "Severus had an emergency business meeting to attend to. He will be back soon." Minerva looked at a clock, it was three and Severus had left at midnight.

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" She frowned. "Was I being bothersome?"

"Of course not, child" Minerva insisted. 'He just didn't want to wake up." She explained. "But it is very late, Hermione. You should go back to sleep, Severus will be back when you wake up again."

"Where is Sevus's business meeting?" She asked again.

"It is in London, Hermione." Minerva said kindly. "Now go to bed." She used her teaching voice, not up for being conned into letting Hermione stay up by the use of puppy eyes.

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Severus shivered, lying atop his bed having just got back at four in the morning. After sending a quick note to Albus about the highlights of the meeting, he collapsed in agony. Voldemort was not happy about lack of progress on killing the boy-who-lived and his wrath fell to everyone save Bellatrix. At least Narcissa and Lucius had been spared from the punishments that night as they were miles away.

He wasn't sure when he passed out, but when he woke up he felt someone sitting on his stomach. He almost pushed them off until he remembered he had a child in his care. He relaxed as much as he could despite being achy, listening to her half-read and half recite-from-memory Beauty and the Beast.

"He married Beauty, and lived with her many years, and their happiness was complete, because it was founded on virtue." She quoted, the words not from the Disney version but from the more realistic and moral Brother's Grimm volume. He was glad to see Hermione loved the works just as much as he did.

"Good morning, Cherub." He groaned, hiding the agony he was feeling from his voice. "Were you good for Minerva?"

"Yes, but I missed you." She said, effectively telling Severus she had woken up in the middle of the night again.

"I'm sorry, Cherub. I had to go to a business meeting." He explained, using Minerva's words. "Why did you wake up? Did you get scared?"

"No, I had to potty." She complained.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. Did Minerva help you out?"

"No. I still have to go." She whined. "I couldn't go with her." She expanded.

Again with the potty issue. He sat up stiffly. "Let's go." He said firmly, scooping her up and walking stiffly to the bathroom.

She sighed in relief as she started to go, and Severus stared at the door. "Hermione, why were you reading to me this morning?" He asked, curious to know.

"To make you feel better. You were making sad noises in your sleep." She explained, starting to wash her hands.

Severus frowned. Was he moaning in his sleep? He hadn't meant to upset her. "I didn't mean to bother you, Cherub."

"You didn't bother me, Sevus. Do you feel better now?" Hermione asked, wrapping her arms around his legs.

"Much better." While he was still majorily sore, her hugs helped to take the edge off. Not that he would ever admit that aloud. "And just remember, Hermione. While I might have to go off for business sometimes, I will always come back."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He assured, lifting her into his arms and hugging her tightly.

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After a quiet breakfast, Severus retreated to his chair, waiting for the pain to go. Pain reliever potions hardly worked anymore, save for extreme cases and he reserved those for emergencies. "Hermione, come and sit with me." He called out for her, from where she was sitting brushing Dotty's hair.

She ran to him, and he lifted her up on his lap before she could try and climb up and potentially bump the fresh wound on his stomach. Once she leaned into him, her wrapped arms around her. "I'm proud that you dressed yourself today." He complimented, pleased that he hadn't had to do much that morning.

"Really?" She asked, looking down at the emerald dress with a silver ribbon tied in the back. The bow had been askew, but Severus had easily fixed it with a wave of his wand.

"Really." He nodded, smoothing her unbraided hair. While it wasn't as bushy as usual thanks to Narcissa's lotion, it wasn't smooth and Severus wondered if he should plait it or wait for her to. Then again, one day with messy hair wouldn't hurt would it? "Hermione, can you tell me why you have such trouble going to the potty on your own?" He wanted to put an end to her fears.

"I can't cause someone will walk in on me if you're not there." She explained, looking worried she was in trouble.

"You're not in any trouble, Cherub. But have you heard of a lock?" He asked kindly.

"Yes, but I'm not allowed to use them. I'm not allowed to cover the cameras either." She said softly, almost inaudibly.

"Cameras?" His blood went cold, and he resolved then and there to do a little muggle-hunting with Lucius as soon as his brother returned. He wouldn't kill them, no, but there was all forms of torture.

"Uh-huh." She nodded. "One in the tub and one in front of the potty."

"Hermione, there are no camera's in any bathroom in this school. And definitely not in mine. And here you are allowed to lock the door to the bathroom." He explained, not worried she would misuse the feature. Even if she did, he could easily unlock a door with a flick of his wand of a pin. He squeezed her tightly. "And if you want, I will still watch the door until you get used to it, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, a look of relief on her face.

"I want you to feel comfortable here, alright? And I want you to tell me when you don't feel safe or happy, alright?"

"Whenever?" She asked.

"Whenever, alright? And if you ever want to talk about anything, you can always talk to me, okay?" He had always wished for someone to talk to when he was young. And while Lucius was always there, he had wanted an adult to tell him it would be okay because it was different.

"Anything?" She looked amazed. "Even things about my uncle?"

"Yes." Severus affirmed. "And I will always listen." He held her face in his hands. "You can trust me. I'll take good care of you." He promised.

She put her hands atop his and leaned closer so their noses were touching. "I trust you, Sevus. And I'll take good care of you, too."

He smiled, genuinely smiled. "Alright then, go and play." He coaxed, setting her on the carpet.

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Narcissa did not care at all for the bustle of New York, New York, nor did Lucius, but she did enjoy the shopping it offered. And though they both hated to be in muggle clothes, it was nice not to have to put on airs like they did in the muggle world.

"This doesn't beat Paris, but it's lovely in its own way." Lucius muttered, finishing his third item of New York food. As muggle as it was, Lucius loved the food in the bustling city that reminded them so much of Knockturn Alley. "Of course," Lucius stopped her in the middle of the sidewalk wrapping his arms about her waist, "Neither are nowhere as lovely as you."

She swooned, feeling silly about acting like a teenager but unable to help being so in love. Her hair fell backward as he swooped her down in one arm, planting a heavy kiss on her lips. She kissed back, recalling a happier time. A time when there was no war and no mistakes and a time where she and Lucius could simply be carefree- their only concerns about not being caught snogging in the corridors.

"Honestly Lucius, you make me feel like I'm fourteen again." She laughed, straightening her hair.

"Fitting, as you don't look a day over twenty." He grinned, peking her cheek.

"Hey, mista!" A man with a muggle camera came running toward them, and Narcissa saw Lucius shove his hand in his pocket and grasp his wand. "I've got that all on film! You wand a picture?"

"How much?" Lucius demanded already pulling out the muggle money.

"Oh, don't charge them!" A woman beside the argued. "They're newlyweds, can't you tell?"

"I gotta make my business somehow, lady."

"Well, I'll pay for them." The woman insisted.

"Please no." Lucius interrupted. "I am a wealthy man, i have more than enough money." He gave the woman a small smile, handing her a twenty. "Have lunch on me and my wife." He told her, grabbing the photos from the man with the camera.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Narcissa ran her hands across the hundreds of gowns in Barney's, pleased that she could shop in the section for young girls. She was eying an elaborate white gown with buttons up the back and plenty of lace and tulle. It was a beautiful gown, made for special occasions. Not knowing how long Hermione would be four for, she almost didn't buy anything, especially a gown made for holidays. But then she was reminded she didn't need to justify spending money.

"Shopping for your daughter?" A woman asked, her small toddler daughter on a stool to apparently model a yellow gown.

"Our niece." Lucius answered for Narcissa, patiently waiting her wife to finish shopping.

"Oh, no children of your own?" The woman asked, struggling to keep her toddler from wiggling as she slipped shoes on her feet.

"We've a teenage son." Narcissa elaborated, placing the white gown she was eyeing in her basket. "But sadly no daughter." She smiled at the toddler, looking her in her eyes. "Misbehaving girls don't get the pretty dresses." She said firmly, effectively stopping the girl from screaming and flailing.

"How...how did you?" The mother looked shocked. "That's amazing!"

"You're welcome." Narcissa replied. "But I wouldn't go with yellow on her, it washes her out. Try a nice blue."

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"Are you ready to head home, Love?" Lucius asked his Narcissa, a loving look on his face.

"I think I've got everything I want." Narcissa agreed, smiling at Lucius who was held down with dozens of bags.

"Are you sure?" Lucius joked, his eyes shining with happiness Narcissa hadn't seen in months.

"I'm sure." She laughed. In addition to the white fancy gown she had bought for Hermione, she had bought another purple frilly dress along with several shoes and hair ribbons and hair bands. She had also got Hermione a brush, much like her own save for an H engraved instead of an N. For herself she had bought plenty, the main objects being purses. Lucius himself had found a few antiques that piqued his interest. And for Severus, they had bought an antique hand-carved chessboard and chess pieces.


	11. Chapter 11

The next afternoon found Severus and Hermione cleaning up the cauldron that had been filled with a failed antidote. He wasn't considering the day a loss however, because he had learned what wouldn't work and Hermione had actually used the Potty by herself. He had had to stand outside the door, but it was a big step. He had just finished cleaning up the table they had been working on when he heard the floo flare to life and Hermione yell happily.

Quickly finishing up, he turned around to see Lucius catch Hermione and toss her in the air before catching her with the ease that came from doing the same with his son. "Well hello, there." He crooned, settling her on the carpet so she could run to hug Narcissa's legs.

"Luscious! Narcissa!" Hermione smiled. "I missed you! I got my kitty and I used the potty all by myself today!" She babbled, as Severus smirked at calling Lucius Luscious.

"We missed you too, dollface." Narcissa grinned. "And Lucius and I brought you gifts." She subtly corrected Hermione, gesturing at the wrapped gifts she had placed on the floor.

"Thank you Narcissa, thank you Lu-Luciush." She corrected herself, earning a smile from the male who didn't look annoyed that Hermione still had trouble with his name and added an h to the end. "Can I open them, Sevus?"

"Go right ahead." Severus nodded, sitting in his chair while Narcissa and Lucius seated themselves on his couch.

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After all the gifts had been opened and put away, and everyone properly thanked, the adults talked while Hermione used her new brush to brush Dotty's hair and that of Thomas's pretend hair.

"Severus Snape, what have you done to her hair?" Narcissa whispered quietly, glaring daggers at Severus.

He looked at the girl whose wild hair seemed as bad as it had been before Narcissa started her hair balm regiment. He had figured it was 'humidity' or whatever else it was girls complained about in the halls. "Nothing. It was fine before her bath last night."

"What shampoo did you use? What conditioner?" She drilled, looking unamused that her hard work had come to nothing.

"Whatever was in there." He admitted, already knowing that was the wrong answer.

"You can't just use that on her. She's a girl and she has delicate hair." She scolded. "I placed shampoo and conditioner made specifically for her in the bathroom, you're to use that next time. There is also a special hair balm I placed on her bedside table, you are to use that every night and in the morning. Every morning and night." She clapped her hands together. "Hermione, come with Aunt Narcissa and we'll put you hair in braided pigtails today. I'll even help you do Dotty's."

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Hermione sat on the bathroom counter as Narcissa lathered her hair in the pretty-smelling go until all her hair stood down and looked tame. She sat quietly as Narcissa hummed and began to put her hair into two braids, one on each side. She had already helped Hermione to do Dotty's hair, but it was still amazing to see how quickly Narcissa could make her hair beautiful. She grinned and touched the plaits once they were finished and tied with silver.

"I wish my hair was pretty like yours." She told Narcissa. "And pretty like you." Maybe if she were prettier with better hair her parents would want her. Not that that mattered anymore- not when she had Severus.

"You are pretty." Narcissa insisted, kissing her cheek. "So pretty. And your hair is a gorgeous color. You just need to make sure Severus uses this in your hair every morning and night, okay?"

Hermione nodded, pleased that someone as beautiful as Narcissa thought she was pretty. "You think I'm pretty? Mother says I'm plain."

"You mother is an idiot." Narcissa whispered, kissing her on the cheek again. "You are absolutely gorgeous. And promise me something, Dollface?"

"What?" Hermione asked, eager to please.

"Promise me that you'll always remember that you are smart, you are kind, you are pretty, and you are important."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Narcissa nodded, her eyes warm in a way Hermione's mother's never were. "Promise to remember that?"

Hermione nodded. "I am smart, I am kind, I am pretty and I am important." She repeated, feeling warm on the inside as she repeated the words.

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Severus hugged the Malfoy's goodbye as soon as Hermione had released them from her death-grip hug and said goodbye as they disappeared into the floo. They had all spent a good two hours talking and eating supper and playing intermediately with Hermione who was determined to brush every plushie she had, regardless of the fact that many of the animals didn't have hair- real or pretend. But she insisted they all needed their locks brushed thirty times each, as that was what Narcissa had told her about her own hair.

"Sevus, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, looking up from placing a ridiculous tophat on Thomas the snake. He was very grateful there were no monocles or toy cigars for her further desecrate the animal with.

"I'm in a good mood, Hermione. That doesn't happen too often." He explained, settling himself down on a piano bench in front of the antique piano he had been neglected for nearly a decade. He just wasn't keen to play it anymore, and everytime he had since Lily's death, all that he had produced were depressing melodies that only made his mood more dour and hopeless. Flicking his wand, he dusted the keys off, intending to make good use of the gift Lucius had given him for his fifteenth birthday.

"So you're going to play the piano?" Hermione asked, looking thrilled at the idea. "Can I sit beside you?"

Severus turned, his arms out. "Better yet, you can sit with me. I think I might be able to teach you to play song before bedtime."

"What kind of song, Sevus?" She demanded, settling on his lap with a routine that came with ease.

"I was thinking you could learn to play the song I first learned to play piano with." He suggested, recalling his youth as the old neighbor lady across the street taught him for free, simply because she was old and had no one to play for her anymore. She had been kind, one of his few good memories of his childhood. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

"You're going to teach me to play?" She grinned, reaching out to press a white key. She laughed when the sound reverberated through the room, and she poked a black key, eyes wide when it made a completely different noise.

"It's alright, Cherub." Severus purred. "The keys don't make music unless there played together, like this." He demonstrated, his fingers easily flying over the keys to bring the sound of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star into his rooms. Rooms that started to seem much less depressing since Hermione had come around.

"Wow..." She breathed. "I can't do that!"

"Of course you can." Severus argued. "Now, put your hands like this and to start, we're going to press this key right here." He waited for her to do as asked. "That is a C note, we'll do two of those."

She pressed the key with the proper finger and Severus smiled. "Alright, now use this finger to press the G key. We'll do that twice as well."

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An hour later, and Severus was more than pleased. Instead of Hermione only being able to remember a few keys at most like he expected, she had managed to master the song with sheer determination. The tempo may have been off, but still, Severus was proud that she was able to easily gain control, no matter how small, of the instrument he loved. Was Granger taking music lessons as a teenager? He'd have to press her do so when she was back to fifteen or her talent would go to waste. "Excellent Cherub!" He applauded, after she had repeated the song yet again. "But, I want to try something with you, alright?"

"What Sevus?" Hermione asked, resting her wrists on the piano before quickly moving them to her lap when Severus raised a brow.

"We're going to sing along while you play alright, and you press the keys in time to the words. You play beautifully, but I think you're pressing the keys to quickly." He noticed the frown start to set in and smiled. "Nobody masters an instrument in a few hours, Cherub." There was that smile again, and all because of a silly pet name. "Let's start."

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Hermione grinned, determined to get the correct speed so that Severus would be ever prouder of her. He wanted to keep him as happy as he was today, because she had actually seen him smile big smiles three times instead of just a smirk of grin. She didn't like seeing anyone as sad as Severus looked, especially Severus.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark,

Thanks you for your tiny spark,

He could not see which way to go,

If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,

And often through my curtains peep,

For you never shut your eye,

Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark,

Lights the traveler in the dark.

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

How I wonder what you are.

How I wonder what you are.

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"Sevus, you have the best singing voice ever." Hermione yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Can you teach me to sing too?"

Severus laughed, actually laughed and smiled. Hermione could surely play an instrument, but it was clear she could not sing. At least not yet. "Sure, we can do that tomorrow morning after breakfast. How does that sound?"

"That sounds amazing, Sevus." She murmured, leaning heavily into him as he carried her to her bed. "Can Narcissa and Luciush sing, too?"

Severus nodded. "All Slytherin's take voice lessons and music lessons."

"Can Narcissa and Luciush sing better than you?" She asked.

"No, but there is a girl in this school called Astoria Greengrass and she can sing much better than I can." He placed her beneath the blankets, tucking Dotty and Thomas in alongside her. "She is one of my Slytherins."

"Can I meet your Slytherin's Sevus?" She begged, eyes wide.

"You might get to meet them soon, Hermione." Afterall, he did have to teach still and the students had to see that she was still alive and not potions ingredients.

"Is Draco one of your Slytherins?" She yawned, eyes getting heavy as she recalled the name of the boy Narcissa and Lucius and told her about during supper.

"Yes. He is one of my favorites, and he is my godson."

"Am I one of your Slytherins?"

Severus, despite his hesitation, leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Yes, you're my other favorite Slytherin."

"Even if it's only honorary?"

"It's not honorary anymore. It's official." Severus grinned as her eyes lit up. "Goodnight, Cherub."

"Goodnight, Sevus. I love you."

Heart attack! He was having a heart attack. He needed sleep, or medical attention. But before that, he had to respond to her words. He couldn't not say anything back, that would ruin her confidence and she'd assume she'd done something wrong. "Good night, Cherub. I love you, too."


	12. Chapter 12

"Molly, I am absolutely certain Severus is capable of caring for a child." Arthur tried to assure his wife, who was restless ever since she had received the owl from Ron a few days ago. "He may be...stern, but I don't think he'd treat a small child the way he treats school-age children."

"I know Arthur, but...why couldn't she had stayed with us?" She fretted, wringing her hands as she paced in front of the floo. "We take her every summer, clearly we should have been the first choice!"

"Perhaps it is easier to have her placed at the school so they can monitor her for any negative side-effects." Arthur reasoned. "And from Albus has told us, Hermione has taken quite quickly to him. If he was being awful to her she wouldn't be so happy."

"It just worries me, Arthur. You know how I am." Molly sighed heavily, glancing at the floo powder. "Perhaps we could just stop in and check on her? Severus wouldn't have to know that was what we were doing..."

"And what should we tell him, Molly? That we stopped by for a social call?" Arthur countered, setting his paper down on the table. "We can stop by for a few moments, Molly, but let's not lie about the nature of the visit."

"Thank you, Arthur." She smiled, relaxing for the first time in days.

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Severus was clearing away yet another failed potion, when he heard a knock on his door. Figuring it was Minerva, as Albus hardly ever bothered to knock anymore, he turned his head to look at Hermione who was coloring with muggle crayons on muggle paper as she steadfastly refused to use parchment for the project.

"Will you get the door for me, Cherub?" He asked, scrubbing at the crusted on goo within his cauldron.

"Okay, Sevus." She jumped up, her dress fluffing up with the motion as she dropped her crayons and hurried to the door. He heard her grunting as she stretched on tiptoes, and he sighed. Why couldn't people understand the simple concept of not visiting him in his private rooms unannounced? Was it that hard to ask him to come to his office? Or at least ask if they could come and pay a call?

"Look at you!" Molly Weasley's voice carried easily, and Severus cringed. Had he known it was anyone else but Albus or Minerva he would have opened the door and told them to leave. How did they even know where his rooms were? He scowled. He needed to learn how Albus knew who was at his office when they were outside his door. "Aren't you just the cutest little thing?"

Turning, Severus saw Molly cupping Hermione's face in her hands, grinning down at the child as she obviously contemplated having an eight child. Arthur was smiling as well, but only after he stopped to give his wife bedroom eyes. He nearly gagged, but restrained himself for reasons unknown to him.

"Who're you?" Hermione asked, casting a look back at Severus as if to check he was still there.

Molly smiled sweetly. "This is Arthur," She gestured at her husband, "And I am his wife, Molly."

"I DON'T WANT TO GO WITH YOU!" Hermione screeched, running and jumping into Severus's arms as his ears rang with the banshee-rivaling scream. "YOU SAID I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO!" She accused, fat tears falling from worried brown eyes as she recalled Albus's earlier conversation about sending her to Molly's. "I was good!" She wailed.

Severus scowled at the Weasley's who had rather alarmed looks on their faces. "You might as well come in and sit." He seethed, gesturing at the couch. "Hermione," He refocused his attention on the girl, "I did say you don't have to go. And you don't have to." He soothed, running a hand down her rapidly softening hair. "These two are just visiting. They want to make sure you're alive."

"Promise?" She asked, worry clearly showing on her tear-streaked face.

"I promise." He squeezed her tightly, wiping the moisture away with a handkerchief that seemed to get a lot more action now that he had a child in his care. "Now, why don't you say hello? I think you may have given Molly a heart attack with that screech."

Reluctantly, she turned her head and eyed the Weasley's who were smart enough to place warm smiled back on their faces. "Hello." She said softly, sniffling as Severus settled down in his chair. "I'm Hermione. I'm four." She informed them, displaying her fingers proudly.

"That is such a fun age." Arthur grinned

"And what's that on your fingernails?" Molly asked brightly, eying Hermione's lilac fingernails. The girl had found dozens of bottles of the stuff and asked Severus if he would paint her nails. He had agreed, seeing no harm in it, and after she spent ten minutes picking a color he had made quick work of it. She had had a great time, and even after he had adamantly refused to let her do his, her smile had returned when he suggested that Narcissa might let her do hers the next time she came around.

"Lilac fingernail polish." Hermione smiled up at Severus. "Sevus did it for me before breakfast." She explained.

"That sounds like great fun!" Molly exclaimed. "And you're having fun everyday with Severus?"

"Always." Hermione nodded, hugging Severus's arm tightly. "He says he's mean but he's nice to me." She seemed smug at the fact, and Severus would have smirked had the Weasley's not been there.

"Honestly, do you think I would harm a child?" Severus drawled, covering Hermione's ears at the question and feeling a bit insulted at the matter. He had known Molly would be worried, but why so much concern? Did he really give off a child abuser vibe. He removed his hands from Hermione ears, and she scowled, not looking pleased at being excluded from the conversation.

"No, it's only that Hermione comes to stay with us every summer. I just felt...a little left out is all." Molly sighed. "I guess I just got excited at the idea is all, with all my kids away at school..." She frowned. "I almost feel as if Albus doesn't trust me." Her eyes darkened. "He never lets Harry stay, and now this."

"Albus is calculating, Molly," Severus left the word manipulative out of it, "But it is not out of cruelty. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Granger had become quite...attached to me." He had always been civil to Arthur and Molly, he saw no need to harass them about the fact.

"Well, I can see she is well-taken care of." Molly smiled again, her frustration gone. "If you have any questions at all Severus, I want you to know that you can ask me. No matter the time."

"I'll keep that in mind." Severus nodded. "Thank you."

"Are you leaving already?" Hermione seemed sad, although she had said very little to them the whole five minutes they were there.

"Yes dear, I've got to patch up a few of Arthur's robes before he heads out to work. But I'll see you tonight, okay?" Both she and her husband planted kisses on Hermione's head.

"Bye." Hermione waved, still too uncomfortable around the Weasley's to place her usual kiss on their cheeks.

Severus watched them disappear through the floo, wondering what Molly had meant about tonight. Did they have plans on checking in on him regularly, because if that was the case he had to put a stop to that immediately because once the Weasley matriarch became determined she was hard to stop. What day was it? Order meeting! How had he forgotten something so important? What was he to do with Hermione? Was he supposed to bring her? Molly had said she'd see her tonight.

"Sevus?" Hermione asked, tugging on his robes. "What're you thinking about?"

"Nothing important, Cherub." He sighed. "But tonight, you and I are going to go out. I have a meeting tonight."

"And I get to go with to this one?" She looked excited.

"Yes, this one." He agreed. "These meetings are much more safer." He explained.

"You have four jobs?" Hermione asked.

"Four? How do you figure?" Severus asked, wondering how he was going to get through a whole order meeting without being harassed about Hermione.

"You make potions and teach and then you have two more jobs." She counted them off on her fingers. "You must be important."

"You think so?" Severus asked, raising a brow. He had not felt important in a very long time.

She nodded. "You must be. And you're the most important thing in the world to me, too."

"How'd you get so sweet?" Severus asked, wondering how she managed such a feat when she grew up in such an awful house with horrid people.

"You're sweet too, Sevus." She insisted, leaning up to kiss him on his forehead, a gesture she reserved only for him.

"Who me?" He asked, poking her on the nose.

"Yes, you." She said sternly, cupping his face in her tiny hands and leaning in close so that their noses almost touched. "Very sweet." She added, not breaking eye contact.

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Hermione decided that Severus was right when he said appirating wouldn't be fun. It had taken a very long time for her to feel okay again, and not sick, and she decided she'd rather deal with Peeves again then appirate.

"Come on." Severus said gently, grabbing her hand as they walked past a screaming lady in a portrait. She didn't flinch at all, Severus had warned her about the mean old woman. Although she did learn quite a few new words she'd have to ask about later when Severus didn't seem so busy and stressed.

She was quiet as he led her through the old house, not wanting to make Severus anymore stressed. He had been quite all day, ever since Molly reminded him there was meeting that night. Maybe his boss was mean and that was why Severus was so frowny all day. She clutched Dotty tightly, along with Severus's hand, as they entered a room with tons of people and a very scary looking house elf.

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Severus scowled as everyone gawked at him and then down at Hermione, obviously surprised she was unharmed and clinging to him tightly. Hermione stared wide-eyed, peeking up at the dozens of men and women who did nothing to hide their open curiosity.

"Hermione, so glad you've decided to join us." Albus smiled widely, but Hermione still clung on. Much to Albus's disappointment, the girl had yet to become enamored with him like most of the rest of the wizarding world. The girl was surprisingly very receptive.

Hermione said nothing, burying her face in his leg and turning her back to the crowd that scrutinized her shamelessly. Severus stood, letting her clutch his leg and resisting the urge to pick her up and hug her tightly for fear he'd be accused of inappropriate behavior. Lupin, unabashed, walked right over to her and kneeled.

"Hello, Hermione." He placed a hand on her shoulder and she flinched, her grip tightening. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Remus. " He explained.

"I don't know you." Hermione mumbled into his trousers.

Realization suddenly dawned in the wolf's eyes and he stood up, embarrassed that he had almost confused a small child with the concept of deageing and the like. "Right...what I meant was that it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." Hermione whispered, turning half her face to look at the wolf who had a kind smile on his face.

"Albus, where is she to stay?" Severus demanded, wishing he had thought to bring along a few toys for her as she would likely be put away in a room for a couple hours. He should have at least brought crayons and paper. She had Dotty, maybe that would be enough to keep her occupied.

"Molly was thoughtful enough to set up a room for her to play in while we work. Why don't you take up now? It's the second floor, third door on the right." Albus smiled at Hermione and only had a small smile returned from the fearful girl.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Hermione sat on a big bed, braiding Dotty's hair over and over and over again. She was very bored, and displeased that she hadn't asked that man called Sirius if he had any toys in his house she could play with. Dotty was really great to play with, but she hadn't thought to bring any of her clothes or brush and Hermione could only braid Dotty's hair so many times before she wanted to do something else like color.

She scooted off the bed, holding Dotty tightly. She could always explore the room. She went to the window and peeked out, noticing nothing interesting the stars. She smiled, remembering the song she had sung with Severus that morning before the Weasley's had come over. She moved away from the window, walking over to a large wardrobe and opening it. It was filled with lots of old-looking robes and she was about to shut its doors when she heard footsteps outside the door. Worried, she climbed into the wardrobe and closed the door tightly.

She held her breath, worrying that the man called Remus would come into her room and touch her while Severus was busy. Remus kind of looked like her uncle and plus he had said he knew her. Maybe he had seen the pictures her uncle collected.

She was in the dark a long time, hiding under a pile of cloaks, before she decided it was safe to come out. She quietly opened the doors, and climbed down, casting an anxious look at the door before turning to close the wardrobe. Before she did that, however, she noticed a small box with a silver snake wrapped around the bottom and the cover.

She held the box carefully as it was obvious it was fragile and crawled beneath the bed with Dotty. If the man walked in, he wouldn't notice her and would hopefully leave. It was dark beneath the bed, but she could still see the silver box easily enough without squinting. She turned the box in her hands, admiring how beautiful it looked, before she opened it.

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"I'll go and fetch Hermione for you, Severus. She's likely asleep anyways." Molly offered, already heading off upstairs as Severus turned his attention back to Minerva who was informing him that Poppy needed a few more potions made for the infirmary as a rather severe outbreak of flu was occurring.

"I can have them done tomorrow afternoon, Minerva. Does she need anything else made?"

"She said something about anti-concussion potions." Minerva said. "But she's not too concerned about it. She only wants them a few days before the first quidditch game."

"I gave her three-dozen at the beginning of term." Severus wasn't angry, but confused. "How could she possibly go through all thirty-six?"

"Peeves broke into her cabinets and destroyed the lot of them along with several other potions."

"She doesn't lock her cabinets?" Severus was getting rather irritated at having to fix others mistakes. Especially those easily avoidable.

"She's never had a reason to before no-" Minerva was cut off by a very shrill scream from Molly.


	13. Chapter 13

Severus's blood ran cold, fearing the worse. Before he, or anyone, could run up the steps Molly came flying into the room with a very limp Hermione in her arms. The child was still, her breathing shallow, and her normally tan skin very pale. Soaked through with sweat, she shook in Molly arms before she was being pressed into his. He held his cherub closely, hysteria threatening to make him lose his composure, a feeling he had not felt in a long time.

"What the hell happened?" He demanded, noticing how cold Hermione felt in his arms.

"I don't know! I don't know!" Molly stressed. "She was under the bed! I found her with some...some box!"

"What kind of box!?" Severus demanded. "Go get it!"

Remus took off up the steps quickly as Severus wiped beads of fat sweat away from Hermione's pale face. He was greatly alarmed, Black's house was filled with dark artifacts and she had clearly gotten ahold of one of them.

"Sevus?" Hermione whimpered, her eyes fluttering open only momentarily.

"Hermione? Hermione!" Severus received no answer other than a pitiful moan as Molly placed a cold washcloth on her face.

"Here." Remus panted, displaying the box in question. He was about to open the lid when Severus stopped him.

"Are you stupid!?" He snapped. "Don't open that box unless you want to poison us all!"

Remus looked reasonably chastised and removed his hand from the lid. "Poison?"

"That is a delirium box." He explained, eying the offending antique with disdain. "Why the hell did you leave something like that lying around?!" He yelled at Black.

"How the hell was I to know there was a box like that in the room?!" Sirius demanded.

"You didn't check before you offered the room to a four year old!?" Severus roared.

"Severus, what is a delirium box?" Arthur looked concerned, a frown placed permanently on his face.

"For the next twelve hours Hermione is going to be suffering from severe hallucinations, all because of Black's carelessness!"

"Sod off! It wasn't on purpose!" Black protested.

"Severus is right- you should have checked the room first!" Molly scolded, wringing her hands.

"Get rid of that damned box- I'm taking her to the hospital wing!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Severus sat on a hospital wing bed, cradling his Cherub in his arms as Poppy scanned her at a frantic pace. He held her close, wiping at the sweat on her face despite the fact that it was quickly replaced seconds later. "I already told you it was a delirium box, Poppy!" Severus barked. "She needs a fever reducer! And fluids! And-"

"I know how to do my job, thank you very much!" Poppy returned. "She needs to be scanned for other injuries, Severus. Who knows what else she might have gotten into, or what else might have been in the damned box!"

"I'm sorry, Poppy. I-"

"You're worried." She said simply. "Breath Severus, this isn't fatal."

Breath? How could he? His little Cherub was limp in his arms and about to experience the pain of several hours of hallucinations. And the worst thing of all, is that Severus could nothing. He could not protect her like he had promised he could. All he could do was hold her, wishing that such a box had never been invented.

Poppy worked around him, never once demanded he place her on the bed and step aside as she forced potions down her throat. One after another. Severus smoothed Hermione's hair as Poppy finished, his heart contracting painfully as Hermione began to whimper.

"Severus, you're going to be in for a rough ten hours...would you like to stay here with her or take her back to your rooms? There isn't anything else we can do." Poppy sounded sympathetic, and Severus swallowed painfully.

"I'll take her back to my rooms. Will you floo Molly and tell her to bring Dotty later?"

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"Hush...hush...you're alright, Cherub." Severus sat on his bed, rocking a crying Hermione in his arms and whispering comforting words. "Hush...it's only a dream..." He repeated, close to vomiting from panic.

"Noooo...don't...it hurts..." She cried, pushing away invisible hands from her lower region.

"No, no...no one's going to harm you. Not while I'm around." He felt his voice break, and for once, he let a few tears fall. "My poor little Cherub."

"Se...Sevus?" Her eyes fluttered open, glassy and partially unfocused as she stared up at him.

"Yes...yes, it's me..." Severus smiled, wiping at his face with the back of his hand.

"Why are you crying, Sevus?" She demanded, reaching up to touch a drop that fell to his chin.

"Because you don't feel well." He explained, not bothering to dispute the fact that he was indeed crying.

"Shouldn't I be crying then?" She asked.

Severus nodded. "You can cry if you want to." He promised. "It's okay."

She nodded, letting tears roll down her cheeks to join with the sweat. "I'm so tired."

"Then sleep baby, sleep." Severus coaxed, rocking her.

"I keep having nightmares..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes losing focus.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry. So so sorry, Cherub." He sniffed, realizing just how much he cared about the child. "It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon."

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Molly walked into Severus's quarters without knocking, hurrying to return the doll to the small child before she could work herself up if she noticed it was gone. She hurried through the living room and into a bedroom that had it's door open. She nearly dropped from shock when she saw Severus's tear-stained face as he rocked Hermione.

"No...no...it hurts..." Hermione cried, flailing about her arms weakly.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry. I'm here, I'm here. Severus is here." He soothed, his voice shaky. "It'll be over soon, It'll be over soon."

"Oh, Severus." Molly rushed over to the bed, catching Severus by surprise as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.

"Molly!" Severus tried to wipe his face clean, but Molly shushed him before placing Dotty in Hermione's arms.

"Severus, you'll be alright." Molly rubbed his shoulder, but Severus shook his head.

"It's not me I'm worried about." He obviously spoke through a lump in his throat. "Look at her- she's miserable." His face fell and a few tears fell down. "I should have checked the room...I should have checked the room." Severus was clearly close to panicking.

"Severus, it's always hard when your child is sick." Molly rubbed his back, resolving to comfort him before she left. "It's almost always harder on the parent, too."

"I just want to make her better, and I can't." He choked out, catching her flailing arms and gently holding them down.

"Severus, I know how powerless you feel. I felt that way when my kids had colic. But you're not good for her when you're hysterical."

"How can I calm down!?" He moaned, wiping at his face.

"Severus, I'm not leaving until you calm down." Molly said sternly. "I'll get you a cup of coffee."

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It wasn't until eight the next evening that Hermione finally opened her eyes, the dark brown orbs finally clear. "Sevus...were you crying?" She asked, her voice hoarse from screaming for the last few hours.

"Yes...I was very sad you were hurting so badly." He admitted, relieved she seemed lucid again.

"You were crying over me?" She whispered, cuddling in close to Severus as he sat in his chair.

"Yes. It hurt me so much to hear your crying." He hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead. "I'm so sorry you had such awful nightmares. I couldn't do anything..."

"It's okay, Sevus. I still love you."

"I love you too, Cherub." He smiled. "Don't ever open anything at Black's house again, okay?"

"I won't, Sevus. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Hermione. You didn't know." Severus planted another kiss on her forehead. "Let's get you something to drink, alright?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm very thirsty."

"I'm sure you are. What do you want to drink?"

"Apple juice."

Severus called a house elf for the drink and handed the cup to Hermione who nearly dropped it. He quickly grabbed hold of the cup, holding it for her as she drank heartily.

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Narcissa and Lucius came through the floo, eager to visit Hermione and Severus. But when they arrived, Narcissa stopped short. Something was clearly not right. Severus's face was haggard and Hermione's wasn't much better.

"Severus, what's happened?"

"I took Hermione to Black's house because I had an order meeting. She was staying in a room Black said he had ready...but it wasn't ready. She found a delirium box and opened it."

"No!" Lucius hurried over to the chair, lifting Hermione from Severus's lap and handing her to Narcissa. "Severus, you get to bed right now. You've had to have been up for hours."

"Lucius-" Severus started to protest.

"No, absolutely not Severus!" Lucius stopped him with a glare, displaying his rare older brother authority. "You get to bed now, before I make you. I'll tuck Hermione in beside you once she's been properly coddled."

"Severus, go." Narcissa pleaded.

Severus sighed but stood up, walking over to Hermione and kissing her on the forehead. "I'm going to sleep Hermione, be good for Lucius and Narcissa. Love you."

"Love you, Sevus." She placed a sloppy kiss on his forehead.

Narcissa smiled at the sweetness, walking with Hermione in her arms to her room to find a change of clothes for the girl who was still in sweat-soaked pajamas.

"Where are you going, Luciush?" Hermione called out, watching Lucius lead Severus into his bedroom.

"I'm tucking Severus in." Lucius called back.

Narcissa smiled, knowing full-well that Lucius was being serious and that Severus would be subject to a thorough coddling by his older brother. "Let's get you a quick bath, and then we can cuddle a bit."

"Okay, can we have a story too?"

"Of course!" Narcissa agreed. "Anything for my dollface."

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"Lucius, you're being ridiculous." Severus complained, glaring at Lucius who had all but forced him into pajamas.

"You are," Lucius countered, pulling back the blankets on Severus's bed, "Now get under here where you belong." He ordered.

Severus rolled his eyes but crawled into the warm bed, his aches fading away as he lowered himself on the mattress. "It's only eight-thirty...you do know that?"

"I have a watch, Severus." Lucius replied, actually tucking him in with the expert skill only a father could master. As much as Severus hated to admit it, it felt nice to have his older brother acting over-protective. "But you need sleep. I know you, and I know you've been up all night with her."

"I couldn't sleep when she was suffering..." Severus protested. "I feel awful when I made fun of you and Narcissa getting worked up over Draco's colic...I had no idea..."

"Well now you do." Lucius smirked, sitting on the side of the bed and placing a kiss on Severus's scowling face that turned to a reluctant smile. "You're being a great father, Severus. I'm proud of you."

"I've had a great teacher." Severus yawned, holding his arms up for a hug. Lucius obliged quickly, and he wrapped his arms around the Blonde's neck. "I love you, Lucius. Goodnight."

"I love you too, Severus. Goodnight." Lucius said softly as Severus closed his eyes. Severus relaxed into the bed, allowing Lucius to fuss over him until he fell off into dream land.


	14. Chapter 14

When Ron and Harry entered the potions classroom, nearly late, they stopped short at the sight. Looking around the room it was clear they were not the only surprised ones, both Gryffindors and Slytherins wore expressions of shock. Potions classes had resumed, but Ron had been expecting a substitute, not Snape. He had also not been expecting to see Hermione seated on his desk and scribbling in a coloring book. The same doll was in her lap, and a new edition (a snake) sat at her side taking up most of Snape's desk. But Snape seemed unconcerned about the matter and something in the air told Ron he might actually be a good mood.

"Open your books to page 70." Snape ordered, sounding nowhere near as menacing as he could. "You'll be making a mild pain-reliever."

"That's the purple one?" Hermione asked, looking up from her coloring book.

"Yes, the purple one." Snape nodded, turning back to the classroom. "It should take no more than an hour of your time." He drawled. "And I warn you now, there will be no more potions accidents in my rooms." He glared at Harry. "Begin now. You may group up. No more than three to a table."

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Severus was reading from a potions book when Hermione pushed on his shoulder. "Sevus, can I do potions?" She asked sweetly, using those damnable puppy-dog eyes.

"Wouldn't you rather color?" Lavender Brown patronized.

Hermione scowled. "No! I want to do potions." She insisted. "I'm done coloring."

Severus sighed. "Would you like to help someone?" He asked.

"Yes, I'll make sure they do good."' She said solemnly. "No potions explosions." She parroted.

The class chuckled and several girls cooed sickenly. Silencing the girls with glares he locked eyes with his godson, making it clear Hermione was to be treated well. "Draco- congratulations. You've got yourself a partner." Severus lifted Hermione to the floor and handed her the doll. She was about to reach for Thomas when Severus stopped her. "You don't want him falling into the cauldron do you?"

"No." Hermione shook her head, looking horrified at the idea. "He can stay here and guard my coloring book." She declared, before hurrying over to a very confused Draco and climbing up onto a chair to see into the cauldron.

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Draco had no illusions about how he was to treat Hermione. Not only had Severus come into the Slytherin common room and threatened them all with painful deaths if they hurt his ward, Draco's own parents had done the same and sent him a letter a few days ago. And while Severus had made it appear that the reason he didn't want Hermione hurt was because he would get fired, Draco knew better. Severus simply couldn't appear to be attached to a muggleborn because they were plenty of Slytherins who would throw him to the wolves if they found out. Even now plenty of them were glaring at Hermione like she was some sort of filth and like they wanted to do nothing more than throw her into a bubbling cauldron.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Parvati Patil questioned Severus, eyeing Hermione apprehensively as if she was made of sugar and would melt.

"Are you questioning me, Patil?" Severus drawled, eyeing her with a glare so fierce she turned away.

"No." She breathed, a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Then get to work." Severus demanded. "I won't ask again."

"And no potions explosions!" Hermione yelled, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting her chin out in a manner so much like Severus, Draco smirked.

"Yes, no potions explosions." Severus drawled, returning to his book.

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Draco was pleasantly surprised when Hermione actually knew what she was doing to some extent. She was able to measure out cups of this and that and able shred whatever he asked of her. She grasped the concept of sprinkling or splashing and fully understood the importance of stirring in the correct manor. Clearly Severus had been spending bonding time with her. Draco could still fondly recall making his first potion with Severus when he was four.

"Now the potion is grey." Hermione declared. "We put frog oil in." She carefully used the dropper Draco had already filled and let the drops fall in the center, effectively turning the potion near white.

"Now we let it set for a few minutes." Draco explained, sinking down in his chair as Hermione surveyed the classroom from her perch atop the table. He shook his head, his mother had clearly gotten ahold of her. There was no way Severus would be dressing her in dresses so elaborate and hair bows so expensive.

"No!" Hermione yelled out, glaring across the room to a table where Weasley was struggling open his bottle of frog oil and Potter was minding the cauldron. Potter was doing a piss poor job of it as the cauldron was smoking. "It's supposed to be grey- not green! You weren't listening to Sevus!" She accused angrily.

Severus looked up from his desk, whatever pleasant mood he was in vanishing. "Clear that cauldron away, Potter! Ten points from Gryffindor! Have you learned nothing from you last mistake!?"

"Seeing as it resulted in something so hideous?" Pansy glared at Hermione as her cronies laughed, and Draco was reminded precisely of why had called it off with her.

Severus had no choice but to ignore the jab, and Draco was grateful Hermione didn't seem to understand she was the mistake in question. There was hardly a reason to be cruel to a small child. Especially one that was giving Potter the business.

"It's dangerous to be so silly!" Hermione continued to scold before Severus could rake Potter over the coals and the classroom was silent as they listened in. "You could hurt someone and this potion wasn't even that hard!" Her hands were on her hips now, and even Severus seemed amused. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

"Another ten points from Gryffindor." Severus repeated, as Hermione's words wouldn't actually remove any points. "And detention Friday night with Filch, Potter. You clearly have yet to learn anything at all. As for you Weasley-"

"You can't give him detention!" Hermione protested. "He didn't do anything!" She cried.

"He should have been watching Potter." Severus replied.

"But Potter is a big boy and should watch himself!"

Potter, by now, was bright red with embarrassment and looked as if he wanted to vanish. Today was a good day for Draco. Weasley looked embarrassed on his friends behalf as well, and Draco smirked along with half the classroom.

"Very well, Weasley. You've been granted a reprieve." Severus looked unhappy about delivering the pardon, but Hermione looked smug causing Draco to wonder if she really was smart enough to understand those words. "As for you, Potter, how does it feel to be chastised by a four-year old?"

"It won't happen again." Potter muttered as Weasley cleared the cauldron out.

"Say you're sorry for not listening!" Hermione insisted.

"I'm sorry." Potter sounded miffed and Draco grinned.

"It's okay. We forgive you." Hermione jumped down from the table and strode to Potter, wrapping her arms around his legs.

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"Place your finished potions on your desk, I'm coming around to grade them." Severus ordered, allowing everyone a few minutes to bottle up their potions.

"Can I help!?" Hermione asked eagerly, jumping into his arms.

"Alright." Severus couldn't refuse her, and if any of his Slytherins did have a problem with it, they could come see him and he'd deliver a thorough arse chewing.

He walked up to the table with Goyle and Greg who had gone off on their own as soon as Hermione had been assigned to Draco. He looked at the potion that was supposed to be pure white...theirs was tar black. "What do you think, Hermione?"

"F!" She scowled. "I don't think they tried either."

"In this world an F is called a T." Severus explained the grading system, walking on through the room.

Much to his chagrin, Hermione had assigned plenty of O's and only a few T's and D's. She was rather fair though, and he was amused when she gave Potter a T but Weasley an A because 'he had tried.'

"Do you want to teach the class as well?" Severus asked, setting her on his desk again as he placed the grading paper away in his desk.

"Uh-huh." She nodded. "Can I teach the whole thing and you only help?"

"Why not?" Severus allowed, eager to see how Hermione managed teaching a classroom of third years.


	15. Chapter 15

Severus watched as Hermione ran into her room, carefully placing the potion she had made with Draco next to the first potion she had ever made along with several others she and Severus had brewed over the last week or so. Severus had cleared a shelf on her book shelf specifically for her, and Hermione took great pride in her collection and dusted them everyday. She returned with a piece of muggle paper and thrust it into Severus's hands.

Severus looked at the picture, smiling when he recognized what it was. It was was picture of the two of them, standing behind a bubbling cauldron of pink potion. "This is wonderful, Cherub. I think this one's my favorite so far."

"Is it going on the wall?" Hermione asked, referring the wall in the the hallway of his rooms where Severus had taken to hanging the dozens of pictures Hermione had created or colored for him.

"No, I think this one is going in my bedroom." Severus decided. "Do you want to help me?"

"Yes!" Hermione ran into his room and Severus followed behind her entering the room right as she made it up on his bed. "You really like it?"

"I love it." Severus nodded, lifting her into his arms. "I was thinking we should put it right here." Severus pointed to the spot of wall right behind his bed.

"That way you can see it every morning." Hermione nodded.

Severus pulled out his wand. "I want to show you how to use a wand, Hermione."

Her mouth dropped open. "But I'm not big enough." She insisted, eyeing the wand reverently.

"Sure you are." Severus said, placing the wand in her hand and wrapping his bigger one around hers. "It's easy."

"It tingles!" She whispered, giggling slightly.

"That's just the wand connecting with you." Severus explained, wondering if he should have used her wand for this because the connection would be stronger. But Hermione was brilliant, he was sure this would work.

"Alright, Cherub. We're going to wave the wand like this." He moved their hand in a little figure eight. "And then we are going to say Lignum."

"Lignum?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, good girl. Are you ready?"

She nodded and together the two of them waved the wand, and Hermione spoke loudly and clearly. "Lignum!"

"Good! You put a sticking charm on the wall!"

"Me!?" Hermione asked. "You helped!"

Severus grinned. "No, that was all you. You did that hard work." He praised. "Now, let's get this masterpiece hung up."

"Sevus, can you color something for me?" Hermione asked. "I want to put something in my room."

"I think I can do that." Severus agreed, placing the picture on the wall. "What would you like a picture of?"

"You pick, Sevus." Hermione insisted, giggling as he lifted her above his head and carried her out of the room.

"I'm flying!" She laughed, clapping happily. "I'm an airplane!"

"Oh oh!" Severus yelled, tipping her forward and then lifting her up again. "We've encountered some turbulence!"

"Mayday mayday!" Hermione yelled happily.. "SOS!"

"Crash landing!" Severus called out, falling down on the couch while still keeping Hermione up in the air.

"Oh the humanity!" Hermione cried out, giggling the whole time.

"I hate to interrupt this plane crash, Severus, but I would like to have a word." Albus came from nowhere and Severus's good mood fell away. He slowly lowered Hermione unto his chest and turned his head to glare at Albus.

"You should knock first!" Hermione scolded. "It's not nice to just walk in on people." She said darkly, leveling Albus with her own glare.

"I'm so sorry, dear." Albus smiled. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Sevus." Hermione demanded, looking upset that her airplane ride had been cut short. "People don't like it when you walk in on them."

"I apologize, Severus." Albus placated, that annoying twinkle in his eyes.

"What do you need, Albus?" Severus sighed, wondering just how much of the game he had seen.

"I just wanted to see how the antidote was coming along." Albus was about to seat himself in Severus's chair when Hermione sat up on his chest.

"No, Albus! That's Sevus's chair!" She scolded. "You know that!"

"Oh dear me, someone is quite contrary today." Albus smiled, settling into a different chair and looking disconcerted that Hermione still hadn't become enamored to him.

"Sevus, what's contrary?" Hermione asked, snuggling close to him as they remained laying down on the couch.

"It means crotchety and disagreeing." Severus explained, not bothering to sit up. If Albus was going to be rude enough to enter without knocking, he wasn't going to go out of his way to be polite.

Hermione frowned. "I'm not crotchety!" She looked genuinely insulted and her face fell. "Albus is being rude."

"He doesn't mean to be, Hermione. He's old, he gets confused sometimes." Severus explained. "Why don't you go and find Crookshanks while I talk with Albus. I don't think you combed his hair today."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh no! I forgot!" She scurried off, running into her bedroom as Crookshanks favorite place to be was atop her pillows and plushies.

"Use the cat brush, Hermione, not the one for your hair!" Severus called after her.

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"How is the progress, Severus?" Albus asked, folding his hands in his laps.

"It's much more complicated than I thought, Albus." Severus said truthfully. "The first six batches haven't been turning out. And I can't make the second potion she needs until I manage to get the first one to work." He sighed. "On top of that I've had to replenish Poppy's stores, teach, grade papers, attend Order and death eater meetings and along with that I've had to do you-know-who's bidding."

"Severus, I know you are stressed, but Hermione must be restored to her proper age soon. Harry will be needing her as the time draws near for Voldemort to be defeated."

"I am trying, Albus." Severus insisted. "I've not failed you yet. I just need more time."

"Very well, Severus. Just be sure to not let your feelings get in the way of your work." Albus peered into his eyes with his penetrating stare. "How amusing, Severus." Albus grinned. "This is the second young lady that's managed to break through your walls, perhaps she will prompt you to do even more good."

"Get. Out." Severus said quietly, his gut twisting up painfully as he recalled Lily and what it had taken for him to come back to the light. "Get out."

"Severus-" Albus placed a hand on his heart, looking surprised.

"GET OUT!" Severus jumped up from the couch, gesturing violently at the door. "You go too far! GET OUT!" The floor started to shake with his rage.

"Severus, I didn't mean-"

"Yes- you did!" Severus roared. "GET. OUT!"

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"Sevus? Are you angry?" Hermione ran out when she heard Severus yelling, and her eyes were wide.

"Not at you, Cherub." Severus managed to speak through his rage.

"Are you angry at Albus?"

Severus nodded, not wanting to lie to his child. "Yes, he said something awful to me."

"And it hurt you feelings?" Hermione asked, crawling up into his lap. "Will a hug make it better?"

"A hug from you will make it better." Severus agreed, holding her tightly.

"Then I'll hug you till you're happy again." Hermione declared squeezing him close.

"You'll be hugging for awhile then." Severus sighed.

"I'll hug you forever if I have to." Hermione grinned, kissing him on the forehead.


	16. Chapter 16

Narcissa! I'm all ready for tonight!" Hermione grinned, bouncing on her toes with excitement as she waited in eager anticipation of the spa night Narcissa had planned for them while he and Lucius went out to pay a visit to the Granger's.

"Where exactly are you taking her?" Severus asked, raising a brow.

"To a five-star spa, Severus, and also some shopping malls. Don't worry, we'll return with plenty of time before you're back from your 'work.'" She quoted the word, a smile turning up at her lips.

"You'll be back before bedtime?" Hermione asked Severus, hugging his legs.

"If I'm not you can stay up until I get home." Severus allowed, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Be good for Narcissa."

"I will! Bye Sevus, by Luciush! Have fun at work!"

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"Narcissa, is this the spa?" Hermione asked, she held tightly to her hand.

"It is, dollface." Narcissa smiled down at her, loving being able to pamper a girl. "Are you excited?"

"Yes! I've never been to spa before. My mother always goes but she doesn't take me." She frowned.

"Well, as I've said, your mother is an idiot." Narcissa comforted, lifting her to her hips as the approached the receptionist. "My niece and I have a spa day scheduled." She purred, waiting for the obviously homosexual man to click the thing called a keyboard a few times so they could get started.

"Can I get your names, gorgeous?" The man was not only gay, but flamboyant.

"Narcissa and Hermione." She smiled, the man was amusing if nothing else.

"Those are some unique names!" The man grinned. "Sure beats being named Greg!" He clicked the keyboard keys a few times and moved the thing called a mouse. "Alright, your suite number is 36- that's the entire fourth floor." He handed her a key. "Goodness girl, you must have married well!"

"Only the best." Narcissa smirked, stalking off with her 'niece' for the stairs. As much as Severus tried to convince her those death traps called elevators were safe, she refused to set foot in one, not trusting muggle technology.

"Narcissa, why didn't we take the elevator?" Hermione asked. "You don't get tired in an elevator."

"I prefer the stairs, dear." People didn't die because the stairs went out and dropped to the floor. People didn't get stuck on stairs.

"Are we going to have fun?" Hermione questioned, looking excited.

"Of course we are. We just need to get to our suite and get our swimsuits on. Then we head downstairs for a massage."

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Narcissa and Hermione arrived for their massage half an hour later, both rocking the same midnight blue bikini and sandals. Narcissa got quite a few low whistles as they made their way into the private massage parlor, and several men ended up being slapped on the head by their female counterparts.

They spent eighty minutes being pampered by a deep hot stone massage, a process that Hermione just loved. Even though Narcissa had to request a woman be brought in for Hermione after she pitched a fit when the masseuse tried to touch her, the rest of the process she was quiet and well-behaved, evidently enjoying the touch of the warm stones.

After the massage she took Hermione to get a facial and it became very clear that Hermione loved to be able to do the things Narcissa was doing. And Narcissa greatly enjoyed having a little girl to share these experiences with.

"My face feels so soft!" Hermione gushed, touching her cheek as Narcissa lead her to get a manicure and pedicure.

"You've always had good skin, Hermione." Narcissa smiled. "Are you ready to get your nails done?"

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Hermione had decided on a very tasteful french nail after Narcissa had picked the same design, the only different was that Hermione decided she wanted her tips to be silver and not the traditional white. And after Hermione had managed to get her giggles under control as they worked on her feet, her toes were silver trimmed as well.

Freshly painted and pampered the only thing left was for their makeup to be professionally done and a few photo's taken for Narcissa's sake. After choosing Hermione's colors, as the girl had no clue what colors would look good her face, they made their way to the hot tub, privately booked of course, before making their way back home to wait for Severus and Lucius.

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"Which house?" Lucius asked Severus, thoroughly annoyed that he been forced to don muggle clothing on this excursion.

"That one." Severus jerked her chin at the very stately home and the two of them crept silently into the background, undetected thanks to a few simply spells.

"What kind of money do these 'dentists' make?" Lucius demanded, eyeing the tasteful decor as they forced their way into the home.

"Evidently good money." Severus whispered, wand out and at the ready.

"What do you have your want out for? They're muggles." Lucius scoffed.

"That doesn't mean they won't have a gun!"

"Who the hell are you?!" Mr. Granger spotted them in the hall, as they had removed the charms when they entered the house. "What are you doing in my house!?" Mr. Granger obviously remembered Severus.

"We're your worst nightmare." Severus drawled, smirking menacingly enough that even Lucius shivered.

"You're in for a fun night." Lucius added, grabbing Granger by the scruff of his neck.

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Once the Grangers were properly tied up back to back on the kitchen floor, Severus poked into their minds and figured out said Uncle's phone number. After a quick search, Severus found a phone and dialed the numbers, pushing the head piece into Mr. Granger's face .

"You'll tell your brother to get here, and quickly, or I'll castrate you in the most painful way possible." Lucius threatened, holding his wand to his neck as the phone had yet to be picked up on the other end.

"George!" Mr. Granger sounded nervous as he spoke into the phone. "I'm...I'm going to need you to come over quickly." He was sweating profusely. "Something...something has come up...See you shortly."

"Disgusting." Severus snarled. "Turning on your own family." He dropped the floor to the tile below.

"Look...we never touched her...it wasn't us." Mr. Granger insisted, telling the truth but no less better than the touchers.

"You allowed it." Severus glowered, pulling out his wand and fingering its length slowly. "Tell me Mr. and Mrs. Granger are you well-versed in Latin?"

"A bit...why?" Mrs. Granger was shaking as much as she could in her prison of ropes.

"Oh, how great for you." Lucius sneered. "You'll have some idea of what we're going to be doing to you tonight."

"You you can't hurt us. It's illegal!" Mrs. Granger wheezed.

"Hear that Severus, it's illegal. I guess we'll just have to leave now, seeing as we can't do what we've planned."

"Now, now Lucius, I'm sure we can manage to figure something out." Severus smirked. "Perhaps something along the lines of...Sugillo!"

They screamed as bruises started to line their faces and bodies, struggling against their ropes.

"Flagellum!" Lucius hollered, using a spell that lashed the backs of its victims. Before they had left for the night Severus made it abundantly clear they weren't to use the unforgivables or the worst of the dark arts. That didn't mean they couldn't cause any damage.


	17. Chapter 17

"Have you ever noticed how much head wounds bleed?" Lucius asked conversationally, as they raided the house for the child pornography and the names of those who bought them that they knew was stored in a trunk under the bed in their master bedroom.

"It only seems that way, Lucius." Severus reasoned. "If anything the most blood came from when you cut the uncles groin." Severus shuddered. "Sick bastard."

"You would have castrated him." Lucius countered.

"A fair point..." Severus allowed. "But hurry, I want to get home and see how the girl's day went."

"Fine, fine." Lucius waved his wand as they entered the master bedroom, accioing five large boxes out from beneath. "Come on, let's place this downstairs for the 'police' to see when they show up."

"Don't let me forget to force feed them vertiserum."

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Severus and Lucius finally made it back to Severus's around midnight, and when they exited the floo they were greeted to site of Narcissa and Hermione fast asleep curled up on the couch with dozens of bags strewn around them.

"Looks like the girls had almost as much fun as we did." Severus remarked, noticing the makeup and nails along with the smiles they wore even in sleep.

"I almost don't want to wake her up." Lucius yawned.

"If you want you and Narcissa can take Hermione's bed and I'll take Hermione to mine." Severus offered, already carefully scooping Hermione up into his arms.

"Or we can put the girls in Hermione's bed and you and I take yours- I want to talk to you."

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"Severus, Narcissa and I have been talking." Lucius spoke as soon as both of them were beneath the blankets.

"About?" Severus prompted, turning to face his brother.

"Switching sides." Lucius sighed. "And soon...we're worried about Draco."

"Lucius, it's dangerous!" Severus brought up his usual protest to the subject. "You don't have to join the Order to switch sides! I'm not even sure they would let you in."

"Severus, Narcissa and I can't keep doing this...you were right...Muggles and muggleborns," He tripped over the word, "They have feelings like us...I need to do something help bring him down." Lucius swallowed hard. "Do you know about horcruxes?"

"Of course I do." Severus was clearly wondering where Lucius was going.

"You-Know-Who has seven." Lucius feared that Voldemort would turn right then and there and kill them all.

"What? Lucius, how do you know this!?" Severus bolted upright in his bed.

"Narcissa pushed into his mind accidently...he didn't even notice he was so angry." Lucius swallowed. "Severus, he can't be stopped unless the horcruxes are destroyed. I think...I think I should go to Dumbledore tomorrow."

"Lucius...are you sure. It's dangerous. I don't want anything to happen to you or Narcissa or Draco." Severus bore into Lucius with somber black eyes. "I already lost Lily..and Regulus."

"Severus Tobias Snape," Lucius looked deeply into his eyes, "I am not going anywhere. We are going to survive this and we are going to have the lives we always talked about having."

"I don't think I'm going to survive this Lucius." Severus whispered, looking down.

"You are the bravest man I know, Severus. You'll be fine." Lucius promised.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Dumbledore can be...manipulative..."

"I know." Lucius sighed. "But we have to do something Severus. We have to help end this thing."

"I know, Lucius. I know. I'm already really worried about my Slytherin's." Severus closed his eyes. "But if you are sure, we can go see Dumbledore tomorrow."

"Severus, I love you." Lucius said sincerely. "And we're going to survive this...not only that but we'll be heros. We won't go to Azkaban and we won't be hated."

"I thought I was the dreamer Lucius." Severus joked.

"Severus Tobias, we are going to come out on top."

"Lucius-"

"Say it. I want to hear you say it." Lucius pleaded, needing to hear the confirmationhimself.

"We...we're going to make it." Severus whispered.

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Hermione woke up when Narcissa sat up. Yawning, she sat up too, rubbing her eyes. "Sevus and Lucish are in Sevus's bed." She informed Narcissa. "I checked on them last night."

Narcissa smiled. "And you still chose to sleep with me?"

Hermione nodded. "I wasn't afraid...I just wanted to know Sevus was home."

"Severus was always come home to you, Hermione." She smiled. "Now what do you say we bring the boys some breakfast in bed?"

"Let's make crepes! Sevus loves crepes!" Hermione bounced excitedly.

"Alright, alright, let's get dressed and start."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"What's this?" Severus cracked his eyes open when he noticed shifting weight on his bed. Narcissa and Hermione had crawled into the bed between him and Lucius a platter of food placed in Narcissa's lap.

"Breakfast, Sevus." Hermione grinned. "Narcissa and I made it."

"You got my wife to cook? I can't even do that!" Lucius mumbled, finally sitting up.

"That's because my daughter is cute and you're not." Severus mumbled, stiffening when he realized what he had said.

"I'm your daughter?" Hermione grinned.

"Of course you are." Narcissa smirked evilly. "And it's not just honorary anymore."

"Can I call you Daddy now?" Hermione asked, crawling atop Severus.

"Only if you want to." Severus smiled, rubbing her back.

"I do! I do!" She insisted. "I always wanted a Daddy who loves me." She kissed his forehead. "And now I have an aunty and an uncle too."


	18. Chapter 18

"You do understand the ramifications of joining the light, don't you?" Albus questioned the Malfoy's while Severus sat in a chair observing, wondering how Draco was doing babysitting Hermione. "This is a very serious decision."

"The ramifications of not joining are much more deadly." Narcissa was clearly forcing the words out, her pride stinging that she had to go to Dumbledore. "We can help. We know things the rest of the Order can't possibly know."

"It will be much easier to fight the Dark if you have people on your side that know how to defeat them." Lucius added, stiff in his chair. "Narcissa and I can spy...she's a fantastic occlumens...she saw into his mind."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Albus demanded, folding his hands on his desk.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Lucius countered, his anger leaking out. "Do you think we'd sign up for more misery?"

"Misery?" Albus asked. "You think serving the light is misery?"

"Yes, misery. You run your spy ragged!" Lucius snarled. "But my family is ready to suffer if it brings about You-Know-Who's defeat."

"Lucius, I am no spy!" Severus protested.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Severus." Lucius leveled him with a glare before turning back to Albus. "We can be useful, I am not asking for anything, we are simply offering our help."

"Tell me, what made you come to me?" Albus asked, peering out from his glasses.

"It's been a long time in coming...A year or more." Narcissa admitted, grabbing hold of her husbands hand.

"It took a few hours this morning, but Severus finally convinced us to come to you."

"Why should I trust you? Albus asked again. "That this is not some ruse?"

"You can question us under veritaserum if you'd like." Narcissa offered, looking unamused at the idea.

"How would you know your loyalty would remain with the light?"

"Because the light will keep my child safe and we will serve the side that keeps Draco from harm." Lucius insisted.

"You've given me plenty to think of, I will have to get back to you. Until then keep your side-switching to yourselves and tell no one."

"Albus-they are coming to you for help." Severus could hardly believe his ears.

"Indeed they are." Albus agreed. "I will entertain the idea, certainly, but not at the moment. I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Albus-" Severus jumped up, a protest on his tongue.

"No, Severus. It's fine. We know where we are not wanted." Lucius rose to his feet gracefully, his wife quick to follow. "Come Narcissa, let us go and find a place we are welcomed and our help sought."

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Draco had caved in long ago and allowed Hermione to brush his hair despite the lack of need. She had been begging to place a ribbon in it, which he adamantly refused, when the door to his godfather's rooms opened and he walked in along with Draco's parents.

"Sevus!" Hermione dropped the brush and jumped into Severus's arms, unaware of the scowls on the adults faces. "Draco showed me how to play exploding snap! I won two games, too!"

Draco shook his head with a smirk on his face. The girl had done surprisingly well, and took advantage of his distraction when he thought of Astoria and whether or not she would go to the yule ball with him.

"Great!" Severus smiled, hugging her briefly. "Were you good for Draco?"

"Yes!" Hermione insisted. "He was nice! He even let me wrap up his owie."

Draco froze and felt his face color as Hermione referred to the hickie she had spotted earlier and insisted on tapping gauze to.

"What 'owie?'" His mother asked, raising a brow at her son.

"The one on his neck!" Hermione was clueless and not about to give up despite the desperate look he was giving her.

"Oh, and how did he get such an injury?" Severus asked, enjoying the opportunity to harass his godchild.

"A girl bit him." Hermione babbled innocently.

"Does this girl have a name?" His father questioned, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Astoria!" Hermione tattled. "Draco says when a girl and boy like each other they bite each others necks."

"You had better never let me see you with such a mark." Severus scolded Hermione lightly. "If I boy gives you such a mark he'll be in severe pain."

"No they won't! I don't have cooties." Hermione argued.

"Oh believe me, they will be in pain." Severus promised.

"Well, I don't wanna be bitten anyways." Hermione decided.

"I hope you're being a gentleman toward Astoria, Draco." His father warned gently.

"Yes," His mother smiled, taking Hermione into her arms, "You want to keep this one."

"He had another girl biting him?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"I think the correct word would be chomping...but sure." Severus agreed, taking his ward back into his own arms.

"Why do people let people bite them?" Hermione seemed very confused.

"You see, Hermione, when children get to be around the age of thirteen their brains stop working and they let their bodies do their thinking." Severus explained.

"What parts of their bodies?"

"Yes, Severus." Draco honed in on the opportunity for revenged and smiled sweetly at his godfather who was leveling him with a glare. "Which parts, Severus?"

"Who wants biscuits?" Severus changed the subject quickly, and Draco frowned at the shrew escape his godfather/uncle had orchestrated.

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"What do you mean he wouldn't accept your help?" Draco yelled, nearly startling Hermione who was busy stacking blocks and singing 'This Little Light of Mine.' While she was still mostly off-key she no longer sounded like a deaf person trying to imitate sound.

"Do I really need to explain the concept of refusing help?" Narcissa asked her son.

"We'll just have to assist in our own way...without his help." Lucius muttered. "We actually don't need his help at all, though it would be nice to have the protection he offered."

"We are Slytherins..." Severus agreed thoughtfully. "Anything a Gryffindor can do a Slytherin can do more efficiently and quickly."

"You're right." Draco nodded slowly, realization dawning on his young face. "You wouldn't send a lion to do a snakes job afteral...To defeat him we need to know him, and we do know him. We need to fight fight fire with fire."

"Darkness with darkness." Severus agreed, proud of his nephew. "And who knows their way in the dark better than the Slytherins?"

"We'll start our horcrux destroying tomorrow." Narcissa said resolutely. "For now, we enjoy this pleasant peace."


	19. Chapter 19

"Hermione, I told you to put your shoes on." Severus repeated, wondering why the girl hadn't been quick to obey like usual. Perhaps she hadn't heard him the first three times.

"I don't want to wear my shoes." She protested, crossing her arms across her chest.

"We can't go to the greenhouses unless you put your shoes on." Severus reasoned, wondering where the argumentativeness was coming from. She had been a sweet girl the entire time she had been deaged, and only this minutes was she displaying any signs of rebellion.

"But I don't want to!" She argued, scowling at Severus for the first time.

"Than we simply aren't going. I'll have the ingredients brought up for me."

"But I want to go outside!" She whined, giving him adorable puppy-dog eyes. "I've been in this castle forever." She sniffled dramatically. "Please, Daddy?"

"Cherub, your feet will get sore if you go barefoot." Severus pointed out. "Won't you please put your shoes on for me?"

"Fine." She pouted, flopping down on the floor and slipping on her trainers as angrily as one could manage too.

"They're just shoes, Hermione." Severus sighed, wondering how to squash the rebellion before it took a firm hold. He was not one to ever be a pushover...but with Hermione he felt the need to go easy.

"But they hurt my feet!" She cried, still sitting on the floor.

Severus kneeled and felt the toes of the trainers easily finding that they were too small. With a flick of his wand he sized them correctly. "Why didn't you just tell me that to begin with?"

"I didn't want to bother you." She said simply, letting him help her to her feet.

"It wouldn't have been a bother." Severus smiled. "Come now, let's get going."

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Hermione gawked with wide eyes around greenhouse seven, particularly interested in a cluster of devil's snare which Severus had to yank her away from several times. After the sixth time he was starting to lose patience, and Pomona quickly stepped in and handed the girl very chewy toffees. The process of unwrapping the things took a good amount of time alone, and Severus was thankful to whoever had invented the treats.

"Honeydukes uses those wrappers specifically for this purpose." Pomona grinned as Hermione slumped to the floor, struggling to free her first toffee.

"Perhaps I'll need to stock up then." He drawled, turning his attention back to the herbology professor as Hermione managed to remove half a wrapper. "Do you have the mandrakes and the fanged geranium?"

"Oh yes," The witch nodded, "But while you're here I was wondering I was wondering if you could brew a few nutrient potions for me? Dragon dung just isn't doing it and the aconite just isn't growing as it should."

"What level?" Severus asked, figuring he could fit it brewing the potions if he gave up a few hours of sleep. He had a lot on his plate, yes, but he couldn't say no to Pomona seeing as she was good to him and provided him with his ingredients.

"Level five, I'm afraid the aconite is really behind." She looked put out, as if it was her fault the plants weren't thriving. "No matter what Neville and I do we simply can't coax it into being where it should be."

"It's hardly your fault the weather has been so cold so early." Severus answered truthfully. Even for England the weather was unseasonably chilly. Which was why Hermione was bundled up tightly in a thick coat and trousers instead of the dress she had wanted to wear.

"Fair enough, but still, Neville usually a trick up his sleeve if I don't." She sighed for a second before recovering. "Let me go and fetch your plants."

"Sevus, can you open this?" Hermione asked as the short woman hurried off, her mouth still full of candy.

Severus grabbed the toffee and unwrapped it quickly. "Finish the one in your mouth first." He requested, handing her the sweet.

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"Are you ready?" Severus asked Hermione, pocketing the bag of ingredients as Pomona scurried off to check on the mandrakes.

"Uh-huh." She nodded sweetly and Severus forget the attitude of earlier as she gathered up the leftover candy. "I'm going to need a bath tonight, Sevus. I'm all sticky." She babbled conversationally, holding up the gooey hands.

"Indeed." He smirked, letting skip on ahead as he kept a shrew eye on her. It wouldn't do for her to wander over the great lake while he wasn't looking and fall in. Not that his little cherub would be so mischievous as to wander away from his watchful eye.

"SEVUS! It's SNOWING!" Hermione yelled, jumping excitedly and clapping her hands. Sure enough fat flakes were falling in the darkening evening sky, sticking to the ground and not melting. Winter had arrived the week before Halloween.

"Yes, it is." He nodded as a flake landed on his cheek and melted slowly.

"Can we build a snowman tomorrow!?" She asked excitedly.

"Maybe after class." Severus nodded. "But let's get inside, Cherub. It's getting cold."

"I'm not cold." She protested.

Severus knew that just because one didn't feel cold didn't mean they weren't cold. "Well, I am. And it's getting dark."

"Okay, but we should go outside tomorrow." She insisted, understandably disenfranchised with spending so much time indoors.

"Oi, Sev'rus!" Hargrid called out and came galloping over to them. "I got something fer ye."

Severus stopped and waited for the giant to hurry over, which only took a few seconds given his giant strides. "What is it, Hagrid?" Severus demanded, eager to get back inside to warmth. "It's not anything illegal again, is it? Not that I mind, but..."

"No, no...just ran into some unicorn hair I though you might appreciate." The half-giant presented him with the hank of hair without asking anything in return. Which was not how a Slytherin operated. A slytherin did not have favors hanging over their heads.

"What can I give you in return, Hagrid?"

"Oh no, no, no- I aint asking fer anything." Hagrid insisted.

Severus scowled. How had this giant not been sorted into Hufflepuff. "What do you want in return, Hagrid?" He repeated.

"Stubborn man..." Hagrid muttered. "I suppose yer could bring me some of those nutrient potions for the blast-ended skrewts."

"I'll run them by tomorrow." Severus promised, although he felt morally opposed to provided those awful creatures with anything beneficial. "Good night, Hagrid."

"Night, Sev'rus. Night, Hermione." The giant's smile faded and Severus whipped his head around and spotted the problem. Hermione was no longer at his side.

"Sonofabitch." Severus muttered. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, Hagrid." He started hurrying away when the man called after him.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, she can't have gone far." Severus yelled back.


	20. Chapter 20

Hermione shivered and sniffled, trying to find her way out of the big dark forest. She should have just waited for Daddy to finish talking to Hagrid, but she had been bored and decided to explore the area around her. She figured Daddy wouldn't mind if she stayed where he could see her, but she was sure she was nowhere near him anymore.

She slumped down on the cold floor, wishing she hadn't been so silly to go into the forest when it was so dark. Just because Daddy had promised nothing would harm her here, didn't mean it wasn't scary. It was just that she had heard laughing coming from the big forest and wanted to know what was so funny in there. She had hurried into the forest before she even realized how bad an idea it was.

She whimpered as she heard stranger sounds coming from around her and she curled up, hoping that whatever made that sound wouldn't come to find her. Maybe when Daddy promised that nothing would hurt her here, he had meant that nothing would hurt her in the castle or in the yard.

Daddy. He would never keep her after this, no matter what he said about getting rid of her. Daddy would send her away for being a nuisance and she would be alone again. And what if she was lost out here forever. Even if Daddy did still love her, she might be lost in this forest until she died.

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Severus was ready to vomit from sheer panic as he rushed across the grounds, keeping an eye out for the flash of pink that was Hermione's coat. He had just about ran into the castle and demanded everyone get out and help look for his child when he remembered his wand. Using a quick spell, he followed where it pointed, his gut dropping when he noticed it lead to the forest. What the hell had she been thinking?

He rushed into the forest, hoping against hope that the creatures of the night in there hadn't decided she looked a nasty treat. A few feet in his wand stilled, and he looked around desperately, annoyed his wand could not be more specific. "Hermione!" He whispered loudly, not wanting to call attention to any beasts. He pawed through a shrub, ignoring the thorns cutting into his skin. "Hermione! Where are you!?" He was agonizing, she had been lost for nearly an hour now. He was about to send a patronus to Albus and request backup when he heard a whimper.

But where had it come from? To the left, to the right? Behind him? No, in front of him! He rushed forward, tripping up on a root. Steadying himself, he looked down and saw her, curled up in a ball at the base of a tree. Thankfully hidden as well as she could be in a little grove with a few thick roots covering part of her. "Cherub!" He scooped her up into his arms, holding the cold body close and covering her with his robes.

"Daddy?" She whimpered, frostbite coloring her nose.

"Shh...Shhh." Severus quieted, cupping her hands and blowing on them intensely in a feeble attempt to warm them as he half-ran toward the castle. "What were you thinking, baby?" He covered her as much as he could with his robe and cloak.

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Once inside his rooms he yanked Hermione's wet cloths off and wrapped a thick, fluffy blanket around her and ran a hot bath as he continued to blow on her frozen hands. She had yet to say anything, only shivered slightly and kept her eyes closed.

"Daddy..." Hermione mumbled. "I'm itchy." She whined, trying to scratch her skin before Severus held her hands down and continued to blow on them.

"No, no, no. Don't scratch. Don't scratch." He hummed, rocking her gently as the tub filled and the steam filled the room. "Foolish girl, what were you thinking? Why did you run off?"

"I only wanted to explore..." She whimpered, the redness in her skin fading away painfully slow.

"Never go into the forest again. Never run off again. Never." Severus scolded, hugging her tightly. "That was very foolish."

"Are you angry Daddy?" She whimpered, fat tears falling from her face.

"Very." Severus nodded, turning the taps off. "But I still love you." He assured her, lowering her into the warm water. "We can talk about this later." He soothed, using a washcloth to warm her face. "We have to warm you up."

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Hermione hadn't lasted very long before falling into a deep sleep, and Severus figured that was for the best. Now that the hypothermia and the frostbite had been taken care of with a few potions and a balm, his sickening worry had vanished and was replaced with disappointment and justifiable anger toward his disobedient child. He could have lost her. And just like Lily's death, it would have been his fault.

She was swaddled up tightly in a fuzzy blanket and he held her slumbering body close as he reclined in his chair. He had wanted to run her to Poppy but figured he had had enough training in healing to handle it on his own and he didn't want to cause anyone else such great alarm. He also didn't want anyone to doubt his parenting and threaten to take her away. Not that he would ever let that happen. And, if tomorrow Hermione should still look to be in poor shape, he'd call for Narcissa to check her over. The woman had been a fully-trained healer before Draco was conceived.

But how was he to deal with this? Was the fear and frostbite she suffered a sufficient punishment? Would there even be a point to punishing her tomorrow when it wa so long after the fact? And what punishment, if any, was called for? Hadn't it been his fault anyways, for not watching her more closely? Maybe they could just pretend whole thing never happened. Surely she had learned her lesson. A quick talking to was all she needed, nothing more. Tomorrow, he'd make cinnamon waffles (her favorite) and they'd discuss the matter.

He'd have to make sure she knew he still loved her, of course he did, and he was only upset at her actions not her. He'd explain why the forest was dangerous, along with running off, and she would understand without the need for punishment. He sighed in relief at finally reaching a decision, and yawned as he rose from his favorite seat. It had been a long day, and though it was only nine, it was time for bed.

Walking into his room, he carefully lay her beneath the covers, not wanting to leave her alone even for just a night. Not after such a scare. Retrieving Dotty and Thomas from her bed, he placed them beside her before crawling into the mattress himself.

Turning, he looked at his ward. She looked so peaceful, a little cherub with slightly wild curls and large brown eyes and flawless tan skin. She hadn't been what he had pictured when he dared to dream of siring children. He had dreamed of black hair, startling emerald eyes, and alabaster skin who were witty yet charming, ambitious and brave. Yet, he could not want anything more than the child beside him. The child that was sassy and brilliant, and his. Even after she was back to her proper age, he had no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't be able to let her go. He'd have to be careful about it, but nothing would stop him from being her Daddy. Nothing unless her telling him she didn't want him. And even then, he would watch from afar, keeping her safe.


	21. Chapter 21

Daddy, what's that?" Hermione asked, eyeing the locket swinging in Severus's hand.

"Rubbish." Daddy's voice was hoarse, and he hurried into his bedroom without even saying hi to her. She frowned, what was wrong? She got up to her feet, wanting to go and see for herself, when Narcissa stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Leave Daddy alone for awhile, he's hurting." Narcissa looked like she had been crying just like Daddy, and even though Lucius did really well trying to hide it, he looked very sad as well.

"But if I hug him, he'll feel better. My hugs always make him feel better." Hermione explained, stretching up to wipe a fat tear away from Narcissa's wet face.

"I know, love, but I think he wants to be alone right now." Lucius smiled, but it didn't seem like a real smile and Hermione frowned.

"Is he upset with me?" She asked, wondering what she had done. Was Daddy still upset about her getting lost last night?

"No, no, no." Narcissa hugged her, so tightly it almost hurt. "He's sad. Very very sad." Narcissa sniffled, and although he couldn't see her face she was sure Narcissa was crying again. "You see, your Daddy holds in his emotions for a very long time and when he finally lets himself feel them, it's very hard for him to cope. He needs to be alone for a little bit, love."

"But why are you and Daddy and Lucius so sad? You're crying." Hermione hugged her tightly, wanting to hug the pain out.

"Well, Hermione, your daddy and Lucius and I all had a really great friend named Regulus. And your Daddy was especially close with him." Narcissa squeezed her even tighter, and Hermione could hardly breathe.

"So why is he sad?"

"Well, Regulus...Regulus is asleep now." Lucius finally spoke, but Hermione couldn't see him because she couldn't even turn in Narcissa's grip.

"You can see him when he wakes up." Hermione explained, wondering why Narcissa was being so silly.

"No, no dear." Narcissa sniffed loudly. "This is a different kind of sleep. Regulus isn't ever going to wake up from this sleep and to see him again we also have to fall asleep."

"I don't understand, Narcissa." Hermione patted her back. "It's okay."

"This kind of special sleep takes people to Heaven." Draco explained, cleaning up the puzzle they had been doing as he babysat her.

"He's dead." Hermione said softly. "That's why everyone is sad."

"Yes." Lucius agreed.

"How long has everyone been sad for?" Hermione asked, stroking Narcissa's hair to comfort her.

"Regulus has been...asleep for awhile..." Narcissa clearly didn't like to use the word dead, and Hermione kept quiet about it.

"Is it his birthday? Why is Daddy so sad today?"

"No, it's not his birthday. We're sad today, because we found a locket that belonged to Regulus and it reminded us of him." Narcissa whimpered. "And your Daddy hasn't cried about anything for a very long time, so now that he's started he'll be crying a lot. He needs to get all the tears out."

"You can cry too, if you want." Hermione offered, kissing her cheek. "I'll hug everyone until they're better."

"You're just the sweetest thing ever." Narcissa started crying immediately, and the next thing Hermione knew Lucius was wrapping his big strong arms around both of them as Narcissa sobbed.

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Narcissa was sure it had been a good half-hour since she started crying and she finally released Hermione from her death grip and wiped her face with a handkerchief.

"Mum, Dad, are you okay?" Draco asked, hugging her tightly once she stood.

"We're fine. I just need a good cry is all." Narcissa assured, kissing her son's temple. "Thank you so much for babysitting."

"Is Severus going to be okay?" Draco questioned, looking nervous for his uncle's well-being.

"He just needs needs to process his feeling instead of bottling them up." Lucius explained. "I'll go talk to him."

"No need." Severus came from nowhere, his face red and the locket still clutched tightly in his hand. "I'm fine." He lied, his voice still thick and his red face betraying him.

"Severus...it's okay. You can feel." Lucius told his brother. "You don't have to hold it in, everyone needs to breakdown."

"I said I'm fine." Severus repeated, slumping down in his chair and lovingly stroking the locket.

"Daddy, will you tell me about Regulus?" Hermione asked innocently, climbing into his lap.

"Hermione-" Lucius was about to stop her but Narcissa grabbed his hand.

"He needs to talk, it'll be good for him." Narcissa insisted.

"Right." Lucius looked reluctant, but agreed with the wisdom. "We'll be on our way then." He strode over to his brother and kissed his forehead. "We'll be back for lunch tomorrow, if you need anything before than just call for me. I don't care what time it is."

Severus nodded, his eyes wet as Narcissa and Draco placed their own kisses on his forehead. "Thank you. I love you."

"We love you too, Severus." Narcissa smiled, kissing Hermione before heading out.

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"That's a pretty locket, Daddy." Hermione touched the jewelry, waiting for her Daddy to start talking. Narcissa said he'd feel better if he did, and she really did want to know about Regulus.

"It is." Daddy nodded, wiping at a tear that fell from his cheek. "It used to have something very ugly on the inside, but Regulus destroyed it and put something beautiful inside it instead."

"What's inside now?"

"It's a note, Cherub." Severus opened the locket, revealing the note. "Do you want to know what it says?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded, wishing her Daddy wasn't so sad.

"It says, 'To the Dark Lord. I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more. R.A.B." Daddy smiled sadly. "Regulus Arcturus Black."

Hermione didn't understand much of that note, but she understood that Regulus got rid of something that some awful man had. "Regulus wasn't afraid to die, Daddy. He wasn't scared that some people are."

She quickly regretted the words because Daddy started to cry as hard as Narcissa had and hugged her just as tightly.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She said quickly, hugging her tightly, too."

"No, don't be. I...I never thought of it that way." He choked out, his voice hitching and wet.

"DId you ever notice you and Regulus have almost the same handwriting?" She asked. "Except the R's...he makes those funny."

Daddy laughed at that and touched an R on the note. "I used to tease him about that," He smiled, "But he never minded. Regulus liked to be a little different."

"What else did he like?"

"Well, he liked to fly. Remember how I told you about Quidditch? Well, he was on the Slytherin team and he was very good...and he was very handsome...he had tons of girlfriends."

"What did you two do together?" Hermione asked, wiping Daddy's face with part of a blanket.

"We would practice our spells together, and we'd go walking. We'd read together all the time, and we'd talk and talk and talk." Daddy frowned. "I really miss him, Cherub. He could make anyone laugh with just a few words." Daddy shook his head. "He'd tease me right now, you know, for being such a softy. He would say, 'It's about time.'"

"He can see you now, and you can still talk to him, Daddy. All you have to do is close your eyes and talk."

"Will you talk with me, Hermione? I think he'd really like to meet you, and I don't want to do this alone."

"Of course, Daddy." She kissed his chin. "We can talk to Regulus whenever you want, too." She smiled. "And if you need me, you just ask, cause you're always there for me."

"I love you, Hermione." Daddy wiped his face with a sleeve. "You're so sweet."

"Love you too, Daddy." Crookshanks jumped up in Daddy's lap, rubbing against him. "So does Crookshanks. He doesn't like to see you sad either."

"Crookshanks is a good boy." Daddy nodded. "But don't tell anyone about tonight okay? It's secret."

"Okay, Daddy. I promise." Hermione agreed. "Now you finish up crying, and then we can go to bed." She said firmly, using the voice Daddy always used.


	22. Chapter 22

Harry scowled all the way down to Snape's office, regretting ever having lipped off to the git during potions. He had much better things to do on a saturday then deal with Snape and his sarcasm. His mood only darkened more the closer he got to Snape's office, and he was nearly seeing red as he pounded on the door.

"You may enter, Potter." The silky drawl came through the door easily, and Harry opened it gently despite wanting to kick it open.

"Sit, Potter." Snape ordered, shrewdly eyeing Harry as he took a seat across the desk from him.

"Am I writing lines?" Harry asked, when after a long minute Snape said nothing.

"No, Potter." Snape drawled, folding his arms across his chest.

"Then what would you like me to do?" Harry asked through gritted teeth.

"What is wrong with, Potter?" Snape surprised him with the question, and Harry quickly looked away from his eyes, fearing the man could read his mind. No adult ever asked him that question, save for Molly, and he'd been careful to hide that from her ever since. No, no he wasn't okay. He was stressed, he was lonely, he was afraid.

"I believe that you think my condition is stupidity, sir." He mouthed off, wishing Snape would just tell him what to do for his detention.

"Are you okay, Potter?" Snape threw him off guard again, by rewording the question and not responding in anger at his first response.

"I'm fine." Harry spit out, staring down at the desk.

"You seem unstable, Potter." Snape argued, and Harry could feel the heat of his gaze on his head though he refused to look up.

"I'm fine." Harry repeated, wondering why Sirius couldn't ask him this question. It'd be much easier to talk to him...or Remus...or Molly or Arthur. Why was Snape asking him?

"You're lying to me, Potter. I do not like to be lied to." Snape responded. "Something is clearly bothering you. Why have you not spoken to anyone about whatever problems you're facing?"

"It doesn't do any good!" Harry yelled, biting his lip as soon as he finished. He glared down at the desk, waiting to see how many detentions had been added because of his outburst.

"Perhaps you are speaking to the wrong people, Potter."

"It's not that they're the wrong people, it's that they can't do anything." Harry defended his mates, wondering why he had opened up even that little bit.

"Surely someone can do something." Snape said softly, not confrontational as usual.

"How?" Harry demanded, turning his eyes up to glare at his professor. "Ron is too young, Hermione is four, Sirius is in hiding, Remus is a pariah because he's a werewolf and the Weasley's have enough problems of their own!" Harry was panting by the time he was done, but Snape looked unabashed.

"What about Dumbledore?"

"What about dumbledore?" Harry muttered darkly. "As long as I'm alive, he doesn't care about my problems."

"What do you mean, Potter?"

Harry felt his face color instantly and he regretted saying anything. "Nothing, nothing at all, sir." He stuttered, wondering how he could talk his way out of this when Snape was so good at seeing through people. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Why not?" Snape asked.

"Why do you care?" Harry retorted, ready to leave the office regardless of the punishment he knew he'd receive for doing so.

"Whilst I may dislike the majority of the student body, Potter, I do not wish to see any of them take their own lives or fall into trouble."

"I'm not...I'm not suicidal." Harry insisted. "That would be selfish. I have a job to do, in case you've forgotten."

"And if you didn't have a 'job to do', what then?"

Harry felt his face color. "Look, I'm fine."

"If that's the case, pull up the sleeves of your robes." Snape said calmly, a knowing tone in his voice.

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"No." Potter's refusal just confirmed what Severus suspected. The boy had taken to cutting as a means of stress relief.

"Potter." Snape needed the teenager to open up. So as much as he was loath to do it, he pulled up sleeve on his right arm, leaving the left one down despite it being much worse than its counterpart. "What is stressing you so terribly?" He allowed the boy to stare at the scars for a long moment, before he finally covered them back up.

"Everything." Potter finally said, still looking shell-shocked at seeing the marks on his flesh.

"Talk to me. I might be able to help." Severus coaxed, waiting for Potter to speak.

"If Dumbledore won't help, why would you?"

"Potter...Dumbledore does what is convenient for him and for the cause without giving much thought to anything in between." Severus was careful to word his statement as carefully as he could. "I...am not Dumbledore."

"What does that even mean?" Potter demanded.

"I believe that there might be another way to win this war...a way without all the death and despair and manipulation. A quicker way." Severus stared into Potter's eyes. "And it would be all the more quick if you would participate."

"Sir?"

"Potter, I am suggesting we fight fire with fire." Severus drawled. "You are familiar with the muggle phrase?"

"Isn't that dangerous?" Potter asked. "Toying with the dark?"

"Potter, nothing is inherently evil or good save Satan and his minions." Severus said slowly. "I need to know I can trust you, before I speak any further."

"I don't know...I'm just so confused." Potter looked like a lost little lamb, and Severus took pity on him.

"I was once confused." Severus informed him. "I was once lost. I don't want the same to happen to you. I don't want you to get lost in the manipulations, I don't like you Potter, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Tell me what you're thinking, Professor." Potter insisted. "I'm not making any promises until you do."

"Perhaps you are not so clueless, Potter." Severus lightly praised. "Very well, I will talk to you about the ideas in my head." He could always erase that part in Harry's mind should the boy chose not to cooperate.

"Thank you." The glasses-wearing boy sounded assure, but sincere, and was clearly paying full attention.

"It's always bothered me that someone as blatantly unstable and fractious as you is supposed to be the only one that can vanquish You-Know-Who." Severus spoke bluntly, not one to beat around the bush.

"Fractious?" Potter asked, ignoring the insult.

"Quarrelsome, Potter. It means quarrelsome." Did the boy not have a decent vocabulary? "Now, let us be back to the topic at hand." Severus took a bracing breath. "I believe that You-Know-Who's first demise was physical and that the night your parents...fell asleep...that technically fulfilled all the criteria in Trelawney's damn prophecy."

"But-"

"No, Potter. Let me finish." Severus was on a roll, and Severus was not about to start letting anyone interrupt him. "You were born as the seventh month dies, yes, and You-Know-Who marked you as an equal when he attempted to kill you that night. His body was destroyed that night. Dumbledore's interpretation of Trelawney's prophecy could be way off...tragically so."

"Why come to me now?" Potter was understandably suspicious. "Why now?

"I waited until I was confident in my theory before beginning to act on it, Potter. I didn't want to see Dumbledore in any other light but that of a near-perfect man."

"And what light do you see him in now?"

"Dumbledore's recent attitudes and behaviors make me think that he's possibly losing touch with reality. Which is incredibly dangerous as he is a powerful wizard, and in his own way, could prove to be just as dangerous as You-Know-Who." Severus hated to voice the concerns. "He's also extremely manipulative, judgmental and tends to view those in his grasp as pawns that he can use and discard as he sees fit."

"I've been feeling that way, too." Potter said softly, resentment flickering in his eyes. "But we can't go against Dumbledore...it'd be dangerous if he saw us as threats to his plan."

"I am glad you understand that, Potter." Snape complimented.

"How can I not?" He muttered darkly. "After Sirius kept begging him to let me stay with him, Dumbledore said something to him and he hasn't mentioned it since."

Severus nodded. "While I do believe the majority of his actions stem from what he perceives as good intentions, he is playing a dangerous game and I refuse to leave my fate and the fate of those I care about, in his hands."

"Understandable." Potter nodded, looking slightly more relaxed.

"I thought so." Severus muttered. "Now, let's get back to you. Talk to me, Potter, and I will try to help out with the things I can."

"We shouldn't waste time on me-"

"I wouldn't be asking if it were a waste. Do I look like a man who would tolerate wasting time?"

"No." Potter sighed, slumping in his chair.

"Talk to me, Potter." Severus repeated. "I know you don't like me, but if you scratch my back, I will scratch yours."


	23. Chapter 23

I've been having awful night terrors, Sir. I don't know what you can do about it, but they're awful. I can't sleep."

"I will have to teach you occlumency, Potter." Severus decided, resolving to ask him about the dream in more detail soon.

"Occlumency?"

"It is a way to protect your mind, Potter." Severus explained, wondering why their DADA professor wasn't teaching such a skill. If it were up to Severus, he'd begin those lessons in second year.

"Good, because I fear I'll go mad soon." The boy admitted, blushing deeply.

"You may be foolish, but you are by no means going mad." Severus forced the compliment out. "What else is bothering you?"

"How...how's Hermione doing?"

"She is doing quite well, Potter. If that is a source of your stress you and Weasley may see her during lunch tomorrow." Severus allowed. "But only you and Weasley, I do not need nor want, to deal with anymore than two Gryffindors at a time unless I absolutely have to."

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Twenty minutes later of talking about teenage nonsense, Potter had finally been ready to move on to the more serious and somber topics.

"These are really good, who made these?" Potter asked, nibbling on one of the biscuits Severus had been kind enough to provide along with some milk.

"I did, Potter." Severus admitted. "Now, moving on. I don't suppose you know what a horcrux is?"

"Is that like a lady of the night?" Potter asked innocently.

"No, Potter. It has nothing to do with whores." Snape nearly smirked at that, but bit it back as he pushed a book called Magike Moste Eville across his desk to Potter. The teen reluctantly put his biscuit down and wiped his fingers on his jeans before gingerly picking up the decaying tomb and carefully paging through it. It was a good thing too, or Severus would have killed the boy for destroying the literature.

"Magike Moste Eville." Potter read the title out loud, in a ridiculous manner as he read it the way it was spelled.

"What is with the French accent, Potter?" Severus rolled his eyes.

"Sorry. I'm not well-versed in dark magic, sir." He muttered, blushing slightly.

"Magic is magic, Potter. Most of the problems we face today are due to unfair labeling." Severus lectured. "But let us return to the subject of Horcruxes." Severus took a sip of his wine, leaning back in his chair. "A Horcrux is a powerful object in which a person has hidden a fragment of their soul for the purpose of attaining immortality."

Potter's eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open. "How?"

"Creating a Horcrux gives one the ability to anchor their soul to earth if the body is destroyed. The more horcruxes one makes, the closer they are to immortality." Severus watched Potter's face pale. "It is very costly to the creator. It diminishes their humanity and even disfigures them."

"Is...Voldemort the first to do something so...awful?" Potter asked, paying full attention.

"No, Herpo the foul created such a thing. But the fate of those who use horcruxes to survive is gruesome, Potter. It is a terrible existence."

"Why would anyone create such a thing?"

"They fear death." Severus said simply. "They are cowards to the very core."

"And Voldemort had a horcrux?" Potter guessed.

"No." Severus said dryly. "He has seven."

"Seven!?" Potter looked disgusted and fearful and the same time.

"Five now." Severus amended. "Two of them were destroyed."

"So they can be destroyed?" Potter looked relieved. "How? Who?"

"Believe it or not, Potter, it was a Slytherin who destroyed it." Snape smirked at the look of shock on Potter's face.

"You?"

"No. It was a friend who has long since gone to sleep." Severus frowned at the thought of Regulus.

"I'm...sorry about that." Potter said kindly, looking awkward as Severus felt at the words. "How is a Horcrux created though?"

Severus pushed a book called Secrets of the Darkest Arts over to Potter who again handled the decaying tomb gently. "It involves a spell, and a very awful act. To create a Horcrux, one must commit murder and then encase a portion of their soul in an object."

"What was the first one?"

"It was a locket." Severus answered.

"A locket?" Potter was understandably confused.

"I believe You-Know-Who chose to use objects of great significance or importance to him."

"A locket was important to him?"

"Apparently." Severus responded.

"Well, is there anyway for his Horcrux things to go back inside him?"

"Yes, but to do that one would have to be remorseful." Severus schooled. "And I don't see that happening, do you?"

"How are we going to destroy them then? We don't know what they are." Potter was working himself up.

"Calm yourself, Potter." Severus ordered. "The Horcruxes can be destroyed, and then You-Know-Who will be a mortal man."

"But do you know what they are?" Potter demanded. "Or how to destroy them?"

"After careful research, I've discovered that the awful things can be destroyed with basilisk venom, fiendfyre, or the killing curse."

"Do you have any ideas of what they could be?"

"The first, as I told you, was a locket that Bellatrix had Kreacher retrieve. But that is a story for later." Severus cut Potter off before he question that. "The others...I think...might be the diary you destroyed, the ring of Marvolo Gaunt, Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, Nagini, and possibly...you."

"Me!?" Potter jumped up from his seat. "I have...I'm a...what?!" He looked ill. "I have to get it out of me!" His face fell. "Someone will have to...kill me...when the time comes." He swallowed hard. "Will you make sure...it's as painless as possible?"

"You are willing to sacrifice yourself?" Severus asked, raising a disbelieving brow at the ill-looking Potter.

"Of course." Potter's voice did not waver, and Severus believed him.

"Perhaps I've been a bit too harsh in my judgements of you, Potter." He mused. "But you will not have to die. There is a way to free you from the Horcrux."

"H-how?" Potter slumped down in his chair again, relief on his face.

"A very painful process is called for." Severus explained. "But it need not be done until the others are taken care of. Unless you'd rather the thing out sooner."

"I want it out as soon as possible!" Potter shuddered. "I don't want...anything of his inside me."

"We can begin the process tomorrow when you come for lunch." Severus decided. "You may tell Weasley about all that has happened, but do not breathe a word to anyone else or not only will it bring about my death but the death of many others should You-Know-Who discover my treachery."

"Yes, sir." Potter nodded, looking somber.

"And keep away from Dumbledore until we can begin occlumency lessons, the headmaster will read you like a book if you give him the chance." Severus pulled out a black potion from his drawer. "Drink this when you go to sleep, it will keep You-Know-Who out of your head."

"Yes, sir." Potter pocketed the vial. "And don't worry about Dumbledore, he's already avoiding me." He added sadly.

Severus growled inwardly. "Potter, if you ever need to talk...I suppose I can listen and offer the advice that comes with age." He made sure his voice portrayed that this was a huge imposition on him, despite the fact that it really wasn't so awful listening to Potter's problems if it kept the boy from offing himself.

"Thank you." Potter actually gave a small smile. "I have a question now, actually."

"Yes?" Severus asked, hoping it was not anything silly like a question about girls.

"Am I still going to have a detention or does this count?" He looked incredibly hopeful.

He sighed. "I will show you mercy just this once, Potter. Go- you have quite a bit of information to tell Weasley."

"Thank you." Potter breathed, visibly relaxing.

"Go, Potter! Before I change my mind and make you scrub cauldrons."

"Right. Goodnight, Professor."

"Goodnight, Potter."


	24. Chapter 24

"How badly is it going to hurt?" Harry asked Severus, looking nervously around the living room of his quarters.

"Very." Narcissa said simply, looking unamused that this had all been sprung on her rather suddenly. "I don't know if you've ever been crucioed but it's ten times worse than that."

"It's...safe, right?" Weasley demanded as his friends face turned white.

"I am a trained healer, Weasley, and I am well read on the subject of Horcrux extraction." Narcissa answered. "Would you like to question my abilities further, or can we begin?"

"Harry?" Weasley asked Potter, who looked shaky on his feet.

"Yeah...we can start." Potter sounded terrified, but kept a brave mask on his face, earning a sliver of respect from Severus.

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"Severus, lay down on the couch." Mrs. Malfoy ordered Snape, a slightly stressed look on her otherwise youthful face.

Snape scowled for some reason, as if Mrs. Malfoy had asked him to cut his arm off. "Remind me again, why I am the one stuck with this task?" He snarled, glaring at Harry as if it was his fault Mrs. Malfoy had asked him to lay on the couch.

"Because he's your student." Mr. Malfoy drawled. "And you're the one who insisted this be done tonight instead of waiting."

"Would you want something like that inside of you?" Snape countered, still sounding irritated.

"I think dealing with Bellatrix is close enough..." Mr. Malfoy muttered, earning a smack to the back of his head from Mrs. Malfoy. "Damn, woman. I thought Andromeda was the sister I couldn't talk about."

"You don't get to talk about any of them!" Mrs. Malfoy hissed. "I don't talk about your brother."

"I'm right here." Snape called out. "And I'm absolutely the pinnacle of greatness, what could you possibly say about me?" He asked in a mock-haughty voice as Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks.

"Are you...half-brothers?" Ron dared to ask Mr. Malfoy.

"No, we're full brothers." Mr. Malfoy snapped. "Blood be damned."

"We're getting sidetracked here." Mrs. Malfoy interrupted. "If we don't start now, he won't be recovered by Monday and people might ask questions about why he's not in class."

"Right." Mr. Malfoy and Snape spoke in unison much like Fred and George always did.

"Right, indeed." Mrs. Malfoy nodded. "Potter- lay down on the couch."

Harry raised a brow at the woman. "Professor Snape is on the couch..."

"He'll be restraining you." She replied simply.

"Aren't there spells for that?" Ron asked, sensing Harry's discomfort.

"There are to be no other spells, save for the ones I use, during this process!" Mrs. Malfoy barked. "Would you stop questioning me?"

"I didn't mean to question you." Ron protested. "It's just..."

"Believe me, Weasley. It's no pleasure for me, either." Snape drawled. "But the sooner we finish, the sooner we can all pretend this never happened." He held his hands open. "Get over here, Potter."

"Right..." Harry took a step closer to the couch, but stopped just out of Snape's reach, unable to force himself to go any further.

"Potter, I swear if you drag this on any longer, I will give you detention until you graduate!" Snape barked. "Let's get this over with!"

"Right." Harry repeated, still standing still.

Snape sighed, his patience evidently worn out as he snaked out an arm and pulled him atop him. Harry stiffened and blushed, squeezing his eyes shut. "Make yourself comfortable, Potter. You're going to be there awhile." Snape warned.

Harry swallowed and repositioned himself, taking care not to jab Snape with an elbow. He took his time finding a comfortable position, figuring his embarrassment couldn't increase much more. He shifted and shifted, until he found the perfect one. He lay stomach down atop Snape's stomach, his head resting on his chest and his arms around Snape's neck. This way Mr. Malfoy, or hopefully Ron, could hold his arms if he started to flail them and Snape could his body down with his arms and his feet down with his own feet.

"Are you comfortable?" Snape sighed, placing his hands on Harry's back.

"Yes." Harry nodded against the surprisingly soft fabric on Snape's chest. "Can...can you talk me through what's happening? Please?" He begged, wishing he knew what to expect.

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"Of course." Narcissa soothed, her healer and mother coming through. "Now, Weasley- I'll let you hold his arms down should the need arise but if you can't manage, Lucius will have to."

Weasley nodded and moved behind the arm of the couch where Severus was resting his head on some pillows. "You'll be alright, mate." Weasley assured his friend.

Severus gave Potter a reluctant squeeze. "Weasley is right, Potter. It'll hurt, but it will pass. Concentrate on breathing." Severus advised. "Counting helps. Or thinking of a song you enjoy."

"Alright." He nodded again, his eyes still squeezed shut. The boy was clearly afraid, and Severus couldn't blame him. He wouldn't be looking forward to this process either.

"Right," Narcissa gave Severus a look, and he held tighter to Potter, not wanting him to flail about dangerously, "I'm going to remove your shirt." She waved her wand and the clothes came flying to her feet. "Next, I'm going to make a hole in your skin for the horcrux to exit."

"A hole?" Potter whispered, pushing closer as if he was trying to hide himself by morphing into Severus's skin.

"This isn't the really painful part." Narcissa promised. "This will feel like a scratch compared to that."

"Don't wiggle, Potter." Lucius warned. "If you strike my wife, it will be the last thing you do."

"I won't." Potter promised, his voice sounding strained. "Let's...Let's just be done with this."

"Very well." Narcissa placed a hand on Potter's back and pointed her wand at a space between his shoulder blades. "Sectis!" She enunciated, splitting the skin open several layers and calling forth torrents of blood. "Sanguinem Sistit!" She barked, stopping the crimson from falling and new blood from escaping.

"Ah!" Potter growled and gave a small jerk, but he didn't move enough to stifle progress. "That smarts!" He hissed, his face screwed up in pain.

"Alright, Potter." Narcissa looked a tad bit guilty. "The hard part begins now. I'm going to draw the horcrux out and it will be painful."

"Just...let's get it over with." Potter put on a brave front, but Severus could feel him shaking.

"DO. NOT. MOVE." Narcissa warned. "AUFER A TENEBRIS!"

Potter let out a string of expletives that was detention-worthy and would put a sailor to shame. Severus had to use all his strength to keep Potter from yanking and writhing and Weasley was forced to hold his hands from behind as Narcissa kept the wand trained at Potter's back. "STOP!" Potter was begging after only a few seconds, tears falling out to soak Severus's robes. "BLOODY HELL! IT HURTS!"

"BREATHE, POTTER!" Severus yelled, feeling the boy holding his breath. "Try counting or thinking of a song!"

"AH! What...song?" Potter asked, his voice breaking as Narcissa kept a steady hand. "Fuck!"

"Any, Potter. How should I know what you like?" Severus retorted, trying to distract the teen from his agony.

"HOW MUCH LONGER?" Potter was bawling now, his chest heaving violently and Severus did not blame him one bit. Cruciatus was awful enough, he couldn't imagine what this felt like. Sweat began to fall from his face in thick beads, and soon enough, Severus was soaked with both that and the tears. "Mummm?" Potter's voice began to slur as he slipped into hallucinations. "It hurts, Mum!"

Severus's stomach lurched as he called out for Lily, and he almost wanted to flee to his rooms. Lily...Lily should be here, able to cradle her son. Lily should be there, sheltering her poor child and loving him to pieces like he know loved Hermione. Lily was supposed to be there, and she wasn't and it broke his heart. "Pott- Harry, Harry, you're alright." He forced himself to sooth, figuring he owed Lily this small kindness if not a whole lot more. "It'll be over soon enough."

"It hurts..." He sobbed, the sound heartbreaking. "Mum- make them stop!" He pleaded, wrapping his arms around Severus's body.

"Shush, Potter." Severus soothed, thankful that it wasn't his daughter undergoing such an ordeal. He wasn't sure he'd be able to let Narcissa continue if it was Hermione under such a surgery. "It's for your own good."

"But it hurts." Potter whined.

"Shhh." Severus pleaded, forcing himself to be warm. It wouldn't do if Potter were to have a panic attack. "It's almost over. It's almost over."

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After three hours, the procedure was done and Potter lay limply atop Severus, sobbing heartily. Severus couldn't find it in him to shove the teen off, even though Potter had pissed himself an hour ago and soaked Severus in the process. He wasn't completely heartless.

"Mate, are you alright?" Weasley looked greatly alarmed as Narcissa draped a blanket over Severus and Harry.

"He'll be fine. He needs a good cry." Narcissa assured, handing the vial the piece of You-Know-Who's soul was now in, to her husband.

"And a shower." Lucius added, placing a few drops of basilisk venom in the vial and flinching as a scream sounded from within. "I'm taking this to the Atlantic and tossing it in." Lucius decided, gingerly handling the artifact despite it being a horcrux no longer. "I'll return tomorrow." He kissed his wife on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight, however."

"Save that for later." Severus ordered. \

"What?" Lucius teased, as he walked to the floo. "You wouldn't lend out your room to your brother for one night?"

"I'd lend my room out to your wife, Lucius." Severus returned, raising a joking brow at Narcissa who rolled her eyes. "Not you."

"Sorry, Severus. You can have any of the other Black sisters, not mine." Lucius called out, before disappearing through the floo.

"Weasley, you may go. I'll have Potter returned to you by breakfast."

Weasley looked unwilling to leave his mate, but after a duo glare from Severus and Narcissa, he left quickly followed by the threat not to tell a soul about what had happened there.

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Harry felt awful and sick, and embarrassed all the once as he lay on Snape. He was bawling, had cried out for his mother, and worst of all, he had pissed on Snape. Any minute he expected the professor to toss him off and demean him, taking away hundreds of house points and assigning months of detentions.

Instead, Snape let him sob, saying nothing as Harry cried pitifully and clung to Snape as if he were a security blanket and not the most-feared professor in the entire school.

"Calm him down." Mrs. Malfoy ordered Snape, as she lathered some goo on the spot in his back where the horcrux had exited. "Get him cleaned up and then put him to bed. If he's still shaky in the morning, send him back to his common room with the rumor he has the flu."

"I take it you're leaving me with him, then?" Snape didn't sound too happy about the idea, but he didn't demand harry get up off him.

"You can handle this, Severus." Mrs. Malfoy purred. "I need to get back to Lucius, we have some things...to discuss." She said, a laugh in her voice.

"I hardly think you'll be doing much discussing." Snape joked, making Harry's stomach turn at the mental image. "Good night, Narcissa."

"Good night, Severus."

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Severus waited another half-hour before he finally spoke. "Are you ready for bed, Potter?"

Potter said nothing, but nodded, his face red and wet.

"Right...I'll run you a bath." Severus muttered, unsure of what the protocol was here. "I don't think you'd be able to stand- especially not for a shower." Severus shifted on the couch, sitting up and standing with Potter limp in his arms. He was not paid enough for this job. Carrying him into the bathroom, he started to the taps before sitting on the toilet with Potter in his lap.

"Thanks." Potter muttered, half-asleep.

"You owe me, Potter." Severus grumbled. "This was not on my list of things to do today."

Potter simply nodded, to weak to much else.

"In the tub you go, then." Severus muttered, placing Potter in the water with his bottoms on before using his wand to vanish them. There was simply no way in hell he was undressing a Potter.


	25. Chapter 25

"No!" Hermione crossed her arm across her chest and stomped a foot, and Severus could hardly believe his well-behaved child was acting so bratty today. It had started that morning at breakfast, when she steadfastly refused to keep her elbows off the table or to do anything but play with her pancakes. After caving, and letting her leave the table to play, he found that she had decided to pitch a fit when he informed her that she needed to change out of her pajamas. And after he had caved and let her remain in them, he was not faced with the dilemma of getting her to sit and eat lunch when she wanted candy instead.

"Hermione-" What was her middle name?, "Hermione Granger!" He scolded, absolutely at his wits end, and ready to lose his temper.

She blew a raspberry at him, and scowled deeply. "I'm not a Granger! You're my daddy now." She sneered. "And my middle name isn't jean anymore, either."

"So help me-" He threatened, resolved to work out the name problem later, "If you don't go and sit at that table-"

"I don't want to!" She screamed, jumping up and down and sending several things flying across the living room with her magic.

"And I don't want to argue with a four-year old!" He barked, realizing that was exactly what he was doing. "Nor am I going to!" With that he stomped forward, grabbing the girl who immediately released a deafening screech and starting to kick.

"I said no, Daddy!" She hollered. "Put me down!" She demanded, choosing at that moment to use her teeth to chop into his skin with sharp teeth. He couldn't help but drop her in shock and pain, nor could he help feeling that an arsehole when she landed with a thud.

"I don't like you, Sevus!" She pouted, turning to run off as Severus nursed his bleeding hand.

"Hermione!" He stomped through his apartment, searching for the girl. He looked under beds, behind curtains, under pillows, and in the tub. He simply couldn't find his child anywhere. He was about to start cursing when he took a deep breath and pulled his wand out, casting a quick point me spell. Following to where the wand lead him, he scowled when it showed she was hiding inside an empty cauldron.

He didn't give her much time to respond in either way, when he lifted her from the cauldron and brought her into the living room. Settling in on the couch, he steeled himself. Slytherin's/purebloods always had respectful kids and disciplined them accordingly...he had been allowing Hermione to go unchecked simply because she was his and that ended now. He hated himself for it, but he placed her over his knee. He landed a hard smack on the tantruming girl, and then another and another and another.

"You don't ever bite! Especially not me!" He scolded, smacking all the while. "You don't talk back and you don't hide from me! You do as your told and you do it without attitude!"

"STOP!" She pleaded. "I'm sorry, Daddy!" She was crying heavily now, and Severus landed a few before swats before putting her in a corner. He allowed her to stand, however, as she was his little girl.

"You'll stand here for four minutes and think about your attitude." He said firmly, tearing himself away from the sobbing girl to go and calm himself.

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Hermione cried heartily, staring at the wall in front of her. Daddy was angry with her, and it was all her fault. She just wanted to know how far she could go, before she could get in trouble. She wished she hadn't now, because that swatting had hurt badly and Daddy was now upset with her. She was almost worried he'd send her away now, even though he promised he would never. She sniffed, Daddy hadn't sent her away after she wandered off in the forest. She wished she had Dotty with her, or at least Thomas but they were in her room and she didn't dare leave.

"Hermione."

Hermione jumped when Daddy's voice sounded beside her, but she kept staring at the wall.

"Hermione, look at Daddy."

When she refused, Daddy simply turned her around and made her look up at him. She was surprised when he didn't seem angry anymore. "I'm sorry, Daddy." She sniffed, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. If she didn't let go, he couldn't send her away.

"Can you tell me what for, Cherub?"

"For bitting, and yelling, and being a brat." She cried, sniffling loudly. "I'm sorry, Daddy! Don't send me away!"

"I will never send you away, silly girl. Ever."

"Promise?"

"Of course, silly girl." Daddy laughed. "You're stuck with me."

"Forever?" She asked.

"And Always." Daddy hugged her tightly. "Now, let's get some lunch."

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Severus felt majorily guilty when Hermione flinched as she sat down on her chair. He had to keep himself from apologizing, and was relieved when she quickly got over the discomfort and started to enjoy her grilled cheese and tomato soup. He hoped he'd never have to be so stern again. From what his Slytherin's told him, he had a hard hand, and he never wanted to do that to her again. He took heart in the fact that there were very few students he had to paddle more than once before they learned their lessons.

"Daddy, can I have another grilled cheesey?" Hermione asked sweetly, back to being her cherub self.

"Of course." He gave her another off his own plate, already full after half of one. "Eat up, Cherub. You missed breakfast."

She frowned and the reminder of her naughtiness, but quickly turned back to her food, taking extra care to keep her elbows from the table. "Daddy," She asked after swallowing a large bite, "Are you out again, tonight?"

Severus shook his head, they were all taking a break from Horcrux hunting. They had already destroyed so many, a very ardorous task, and all that was left was the snake, the damn lost diadem, and some ring. As frustrating as it was for them to take a break, Lucius had insisted on it, insisting they needed a break after the way Voldemort was losing his temper more and more with each piece of his soul that was destroyed. Severus was still very sore from the cruciatus curse they had all received last night, his a bit longer. "Not tonight, Cherub. But Lucius and Narcissa should be coming any minute."

"Yay!" Her face lit up in excitement. "I should prolly get dressed first." She added, clearly understanding that Narcissa would give them both hell should she come and see Hermione in a state of undress.

"Yes, come now quickly." Severus winced as he got up, still achy, and hurried Hermione into her room and into a blue dress.


	26. Chapter 26

Lucius threw Hermione into the air as soon as she ran to him, catching her with expert precision before repeating the procedure again and again as Narcissa settled herself down on the couch. "How's Hermione today?" Lucius asked. "You didn't give Daddy a hard time, did you?" That was the last thing Severus needed, especially after last night.

"Um..." She trailed off, looking guilty.

"You weren't naughty were you?" Lucius couldn't believe such a thing, not from teenage Hermione and especially not from four-year old Hermione.

"Ummmm..." She looked toward Severus, but Lucius refused to let her get off easy.

"What did you do?" He demanded firmly.

"I bit Daddy and I was a brat." She said softly, managing to retain eye-contact although Lucius was almost certain she wanted nothing more than to run to Severus. "He spanked me and gave me a time-out."

Lucius nodded. "You won't misbehave again, will you?"

"Never." She insisted, her eyes wide.

"Good girl." He hugged her tightly, settling on the couch beside his wife who was now depositing a quilt she had made into Severus's lap.

Severus's eyes lit up at the gift of the black and dark gray patchwork quilt, always appreciative of the gifts that were handmade and and soft. "Narcissa- thank you." He pet the quilt, smiling.

"Is it Daddy's birthday?" Hermione asked, looking concerned she had forgot the day.

"No, dear." Narcissa assured. "Your Daddy's birthday is a little bit after Christmas. I made him the quilt because I love him and like to surprise him sometimes."

"Did you make that, Narcissa?"

"Yes, I made it myself." His wife nodded, looking fondly on the girl.

"Can you teach me to sew?"

"Yes, dear. It'll be fun to have a girl to teach." She was clearly thinking of the daughters and other children they were unable to produce, and Lucius wished he was able to give her more.

"I like when you teach me girl stuff, Narcissa." Hermione grinned, and Narcissa positively beamed.

Lucius let Narcissa talk about how fun sewing and knitting could be without interrupting, content to stare at the warm glow on Narcissa's face. He hadn't seen her look like that in so long, and it almost made him want to bring up the idea of adoption to Narcissa again or fertility treatments. Severus had told him about something called IVF and he figured it would be worth at least checking into.

"Severus!" Narcissa's voice called Lucius from his musings. "Severus, are you okay?"

Lucius looked over at Severus, who was rather sweaty looking and white, a pinched look on his face. Something clearly had been wrong with Severus since yesterday, and he had clearly hid it from everyone. Lucius was not amused. "Severus, you told me you were fine last night."

Severus put his mask back on, clearly annoyed at being discovered. "I'm fine, Lucius, really. It's nothing serious."

"Did you go to bed last night?" Lucius demanded, knowing full-well that sleep was required to recover from the injuries of last night.

"Lucius-"

"Hermione- did Daddy go to sleep last night?" Narcissa asked, keeping her voice casual to keep Hermione in the dark.

"I don't know." Hermione answered. "I go to bed before he does."

Lucius sighed. "Did you go potty last night?"

Hermione nodded. "All by myself." She said proudly.

"Good girl." Lucius praised. "And when you did that, what time did the clock say."

"Ummm...I think the big hand was pointing to four."

"Was Daddy up?"

"Yes, he was in the living room." Hermione answered, proud she could answer. "He was sitting in the dark."

"Oh." Lucius leveled his brother with a glare.

"Is Daddy in trouble?" Hermione finally caught on to the tense feeling in the air.

"No." Lucius smiled at her. "Daddy's just going to go to bed."

"It's early though, why?" Hermione clearly didn't believe it wasn't a punishment.

"Because, he's tired." Narcissa said firmly.

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"I'm not tired." Severus argued, scowling at Lucius. How dare he try and send him to bed, especially in front of Hermione.

"You do not want to test me, Severus." Lucius stood, his arms crossed and his jaw set.

"It's not even two, Lucius." He tried reasoning, as arguing clearly wasn't working in his favor.

"I can tell the time, Severus. Now, come on." Lucius put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and Severus glowered.

"You don't want to fight this, not in front of your daughter, because I will carry you to your room." Lucius whispered in his ear.

Severus sighed but got to his feet, resolved to continue this conversation once they were in the privacy of his room. He wasn't going to be put to bed by Lucius at this age, not again.

"Come on," Lucius coaxed, grabbing Severus's new quilt. "You can even break this in."

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"I'm not tired, and I'm not going to bed." Severus repeated.

"Severus, get into your pajamas before I wrestle you into them." Lucius had been bickering with Severus for ten minutes and his patience was wearing thin. "I won't keep Hermione out either, if you decide to push your luck."

"Fine." Severus growled, yanking his pajamas on in an angry manner that only Severus could manage. With a growl, he flung the blankets off of his bed before flopping onto the bed.

"Enough with the attitude, Severus." Lucius warned, throwing the new quilt over his body. "Don't think I won't spank you." He scolded, continuing to tuck the blankets in around Severus as Severus clearly recalled last years swatting from Lucius.

"Sorry." He mumbled, turning to sleep on his stomach as it was much more comfortable to sleep that way after a crucio.

"I guess it's just the Snape's day to be naughty." Lucius teased, kissing Severus on the cheek. Sitting on the bed, he rubbed at his brothers back, waiting for him to give in and go to sleep.

"I love you, Lucius. Even when you're overbearing." Severus finally breathed.

"I love you, Severus. Even when you're being stubborn."


	27. Chapter 27

Lucius sat on Severus's couch, while Narcissa sat on the floor with Hermione and helped her give Dotty a pedicure. He was reading from one of the books on Severus's shelves, when Dumbledore suddenly appeared in the living room.

"Lucius, Narcissa- I can't say I expected to find you here." The old man's eyes twinkled, but no one in the room succumbed to the 'charm,' not even Hermione.

"We're babysitting." Lucius snarled, unamused that the old man had disrespected his brother by not even knocking.

"Where is Severus?"

"Not that it is any of your business," Narcissa still managed to look dignified while seating on the floor, "But he is sleeping. Last nights meeting was very...taxing."

"You'd have noticed that if you cared more for your employee." Lucius jeered.

"Well, I need to speak to him about the progress of the potion for Hermione." Albus said calmly, in an annoying tone that drove Lucius mad.

Narcissa gestured to a corner of the room where a cauldron simmered. "He's working on another. He's almost confident this one will bring him one step closer."

"It's been a long time since she's been deaged, perhaps he could get the potion done faster if she was rehomed?" Albus asked, a hint of threat in his voice.

"Rehomed?" Lucius drawled, narrowing his eyes. "She's not a cat."

"Interesting." Albus smiled. "Just last year you were referring to her with some very flavorful words."

"Luciush, who's he talking about?" Hermione pipped up. "I'm not getting sent away, am I?"

"No." Narcissa purred, standing and lifting the girl to her hip. "Come now, let's go to the bathroom and I'll let you put some mascara on."

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"How amusing, Lucius." Albus smiled, eyes twinkling. "I never thought I'd see the day you cared about the welfare of a muggle-born child."

"What do you want, Albus?" Lucius demanded, glaring heavily at the senile old man.

"I want whats best." He said simply, seating himself on the couch beside Lucius.

"For you." Lucius amended.

"Pardon?" Albus asked, feigning innocence.

"You want what is best for you." Lucius spoke slowly, wondering if the old man really had slipped into dementia.

"I beg to differ, Lucius. I want what is best for the light." Albus insisted, looking merry despite the gravity of the conversation.

"You sure have an odd way of achieving your goals." Lucius sneered, wondering why Severus trust the man as much as he did. Lucius simply couldn't, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that Severus had impeccably great judgement. And even if Albus was doing all this manipulating in the name of the greater good, it was still just as morally objectionable to the shit the Slytherins were forced into doing.

"I assure you, I know what I am doing." Albus sounded smug to be in such great control and Lucius's stomach churned in disgust.

"That brings no comfort, Albus," He spat, "Seeing as you just admitted to purposely messing with people's lives."

"I promise you, my intentions are the purest they can possibly be."

"Purest?" Lucius scoffed. "The only reason you get away with the-shit, that you do is because you were never a Slytherin!" Lucius hissed. "Merlin- you run your spy ragged, all the while manipulating the grand majority of the wizarding world!"

"Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks at their neighbors." Albus responded. "I believe that's how the muggle phrase goes."

"Is it lonely?" Lucius asked. "Up on that high horse?" Lucius retorted with a muggle phrase Severus often used.

"Lucius, this is war. What must be done, must be done." Albus reasoned, finally dropping the facade.

"Then why won't you let me help!?" Lucius barked, standing from the couch to glare down at Albus. "Why won't you consider the wisdom of allowing fire to be fought with fire?!"

"I am overseeing a very delicate strategy."

"STRATEGY? THIS WAR ISN'T SOME...SOME CHESS GAME!" Lucius let his rage out. "I'm starting to think you see people as pawns, Albus."

"And you don't?"

"I've never messed with their lives!" Lucius countered. "That's the difference!" He lowered his voice, remembering that Severus was asleep. "You need to leave."

"I need to leave?" Albus chuckled. "I don't think you have the authority to ask me such a thing."

"Listen here,-"

"Oh, no need to get so worked up Lucius. I'll be on my way." Albus smiled, walking off before Lucius could deliver a sound arse-chewing.

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"My, my, look at those big eyes." Lucius grinned down at Hermione, who had exited the bathroom a few minutes after Albus had left.

"Narcissa says I have great skin and pretty eyes." She said smugly.

"And you're smart as a tack." He added, resolved to bring up IVF to Narcissa later. For now, he had other things to discuss with his wife. "Why don't you go find Dotty and show her those big eyes?"

Hermione nodded and ran off toward her room, practically bouncing with excitement. As soon as Lucius heard her begin to babble to the doll, he looked at Narcissa. "We need to get those papers in line."

"Did he say something?" Narcissa asked, clearly referring to the headmaster.

"I think he might be plotting something. We need to move quickly." He sighed. "We can have him sign the custody papers tomorrow."

"What if Hermione changes her mind?" Narcissa frowned. "When she's older again?"

Lucius scowled at the thought. "Then we can rectify the paperwork, not that she'll change her mind." Lucius would employ every last option he had to keep that from happening.

"And you're sure those Granger muggles won't try to contest the custody exchange?"

"I've paid them 5,000 galleons ($50,000), and they are currently being prosecuted by the muggles. They won't contest unless they have a death wish."

"Are you sure we shouldn't do it now?"

"No, let Severus sleep." Lucius insisted. "Albus won't do anything tonight, I'm sure of it."


	28. Chapter 28

Severus scrawled his name neatly on the bottom of the very binding and very legal document, taking care to make sure his very neat script was even more tidy. If anything was going to screw up this adoption, it wasn't going to be his damn handwriting.

"Hermione, Cherub, are you sure about this?" He asked, steeling himself should she answer in the negative.

"I'm super sure, Daddy." She insisted from atop his lap. "I want to be you daughter officially." She added, kissing his chin.

"Alright then." He scrawled her name neatly in the correct space on the parchment. He stopped when it came to the middle name and last name, unable to make his hand form the words.

"What's the problem, Severus?" Narcissa asked, raising a brow.

"Cherub," He looked down at his daughter, "Remember how you a Slytherin?"

"Uh-huh." SHe nodded, grinning wide to reveal her gap-toothed mouth.

"Well, Slytherins give their children middle names that honor people important to them."

"Okay." She said simply, not offering much help in the matter.

"Lucius, Narcissa- a little he-" He stopped, an idea formulating in his head. Narcissa and

Lucius were going to become her godparents in a few short minutes, and they both doted on her...and Hermione just adored Narcissa.

"Severus?" Lucius asked, a smirk on both his and his wife's face as they knew what he was thinking.

"Hermione Narcissa Snape." The words sounded odd on his ears, but felt right within, and he scribbled the name down in the correct spot. He didn't bother to ask Hermione how she felt about the name, because children didn't get a say so when they were born, and today was practically the day she became his. Besides, both Narcissa and Hermione were glowing as he said the name aloud, and he knew he made the right decision.

"I love it, Daddy!" Hermione yelled, kissing his chin.

"I'm so honored, Severus." Narcissa's eyes were filling with moisture and Severus rolled his eyes in unison with Lucius.

"Time for aunty and uncle to sign the paper." Severus pushed the parchment toward the couple who were busy making bedroom eyes. "Before they get into trouble."

"What kind of trouble, Daddy?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"The kind only married people can get into." He stressed the word married, not wanting his baby to be knocked-up by a certain redhead anytime soon. He'd have to have a talk with her once she was fifteen again. That was if she'd want anything to do with him once she was aged back properly. No, he shook his head, that didn't bear thinking about.

"Oh." She said simply, thankfully not asking anymore questions on the subject Severus had thoughtlessly brought up. "Who's that paper going too?"

"Lucius has a friend he is going to bring it to, and he will take good care of it so Daddy will always be your daddy, no matter what." Narcissa explained, her eyes twinkling even more and her face glowing.

"And you'll always be my Aunty and Uncle?" Hermione questioned sweetly.

"Of course." The Malfoy's answered in unison, and Severus began to fear Lucius would take his wife then an there on his carpet.

"And your lovely cousin, Draco, has agreed to babysit you this afternoon." Severus added, glancing at the clock. Horcrux hunting was set to begin a few minutes.

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Draco sighed and gave in, allowing Hermione to brush his hair after she begged for half an hour straight. He was pleasantly surprised when she was gently, not yanking and tearing the locks like he had feared she would.

"We're cousins now, Draco." She warbled, her voice sweet and syrupy.

"So we are." He agreed, having been informed of that by his very happy mother, father, and Uncle. "What do you think of us being cousins?"

"I'm really happy!" She giggled. "I never had a cousin before."

"I'm glad to be your first." He replied, earning himself a kiss on his cheek. "Are you excited to go the Slytherin common room with Daddy tomorrow?"

"Yes!" She yelled, clapping her hands together. "I'm sooo-oooo-ooo excited."

"How excited are you?" Draco teased.

She jumped up. "SUPER!"

"You don't look excited to me." Draco insisted.

"I am! I am!" She twirled around in circles, the bottom ruffles of her dress flying about her.

"How excited are you?"

She threw her arms out as wide as she could. "Thisssssss excited!" Her voice was strained as she stretched.

"You're that excited to visit the dungeons?"

"Yes." She said firmly. "It'll be fun."

"If you say so." Draco couldn't help but wonder if Severus was out of his mind, bringing a little lion cub into the den of snakes. But if anyone could get away with breaking the Slytherin protocol, he figured it was Severus. "Just stay away from Pansy, alright?"

"Why?"

"She's a very naughty girl." Draco explained, frowning at the memory of the pug-faced girl. That breakup had been one of the ugliest in the history of Hogwarts. Pansy had positively tried to murder both him and Astoria, and had destroyed a good portion of the charms classroom in her rage. He'd have retaliated to avenge Astoria, but Severus had gotten to her first and she hadn't sat properly in the week following.

"I'm never naughty." Hermione drawled, striking a very Severus-like pose.

"Liar." Draco teased.

"Na-uh." Hermione denied, sticking her chin in the air. "I'm a cherub." She explained.

"If you say so." Draco placated. "Look, we're cousins right?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded.

"So, would you do be a favor?"

"Of course, Draco." She nodded, looking eager to please.

"Good, because Astoria is going to be coming over to...study with me." Draco decided to push his luck. "And I was just thinking your Daddy and my parents didn't need to know."

"Why?" Hermione frowned. "I'm not lying to Daddy." She insisted in a manner much like her teenage self.

"Right, but I was just thinking we don't tell him because he likes to tease me and it would make me sad."

"Oh! Alright!" Hermione smiled. "I get it!"

Draco sighed in relief, hoping he really could get away with sneaking a girl into Severus's rooms. At least if he was found out, Severus would be less angry at the fact that it was Astoria- one of his favorite students. And whatever the consequences might be, the crime would be well worth it. Besides, Severus always went easy on him and Astoria- especially Draco.

As soon as he began fantasizing about Astoria, a knock sounded on the door. He had impeccable timing. Taking a quick second to make sure his hair was flawless, which it was (even more so, thanks to Hermione) he opened the door and pulled her inside.

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"Draco, I'm not sure Severus would like me to be in his rooms." Astoria giggled, kissing his chin as she called their professor by his first name- (something all Slytherin's were allowed to do after hours and in private.)

"He won't know." Draco murmured, nuzzling her chin with his head.

"What if a certain four-year old tells?" She laughed, making Draco look over to see Hermione staring at them with curious eyes.

"Hermione, why don't you color out here while Astoria use your bedroom?" Draco asked.

"Draco-" Astoria smacked him, "I am a lady."

"We don't have to do that, just because we're in a bedroom." He reasoned smoothly, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Okay, but don't knock my stuffed animals to the floor!"


	29. Chapter 29

"Brat." Astoria panted, lightly tapping Draco on the head. "Do you always get your way?"

Draco sat up, in a very pleasant mood. "When a Malfoy wants something, he gets it."

Astoria rolled her pretty green eyes. "I guess Severus is right, beds have a gravitational pull for horny teenagers." She stretched, sitting up while her sweaty and messy hair covered her breasts.

Draco laughed, pecking her on the lips again. "We need to change Hermione's sheets...and blankets...I don't feel comfortable letting her sleep in this warzone."

"Warzone?" Astoria laughed, slipping out of the bed and starting to pull the blankets off. "I thought what we did was beautiful?"

"Oh it was." Draco purred, slipping off the bed as well. "It was a beautiful warzone."

Astoria gave him a look. "How poetic." She teased, bundling up the sheets and blankets in her arms. "Where's his hamper?"

"The bathroom." Draco answered, beginning and struggling to make the bed. Astoria sighed in exasperation and dropped the sheets and blankets, starting to make the bed properly. "You'll make a great wife, love."

"Of course I will." She laughed. "I'm-"

She was cut off as the door was thrown open, revealing a very surprised and horrified looking Hermione. The girl promptly screamed and turned, taking off to who knows where.

"Oh-oh." Draco whispered, hurrying out of the room with Astoria on his heels.

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"You touched Astoria and you aren't supposed to!" Hermione yelled, sitting in Astoria's lap as she had been the one to finally get her out from under the bed. "Daddy says no one is supposed to touch girls!"

Draco sighed, he had gotten himself in a big mess. "Hermione- Daddy is right." He soothed, trying to put a hand on her shoulder only for her to bit at him.

"But when Daddy said that, he meant girls under thirteen." Astoria explained, taking easily to Hermione. "You see, when a girl gets to be around twelve or thirteen, she starts to like to be touched."

"Like?" Hermione was understandably confused, given her horrid past, and Draco felt like shit.

"Yes, she will sometimes give a boy permission to touch her, and a good boy will never touch her without permission." Astoria continued. "But good girls and boys should wait until they're married to touch- Draco and I were just being naughty..."

"So...you gave Draco permission?" Hermione sniffed.

"Yes." Astoria smiled. "Now, can you give Draco a hug?"

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An hour later, and after a very awkward talk, everything was back to normal. Astoria sat on the floor in the living room, letting Hermione plait her hair, and Draco watched the two- mostly Astoria who had a huge smile on her face as she talked with Hermione.

He was put-out that Hermione had been wary of him after walking in on his moment with Astoria, but the girl had forgiven him and all was well. His day couldn't possibly get any better. Astoria had given herself to him, and it had been beautiful. It was a thousand times better than his experiences with Pansy, and he wished again he had waited for Astoria. Severus was right about waiting for marriage, because that way you gave yourself to the one you loved and no one else could get the honor. But Astoria told him she didn't mind, and that was all Draco needed to know.

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Severus was in a very good mood, a very good mood as he caught Hermione up into his arms and kissed her on the cheek. The only Horcrux now left, was the snake. "Cherub!" He grinned. "We're you good for Draco?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I liked playing with Draco and Atsoria!"

"Do you mean Astoria?" Severus questioned, looking down at the couch where a very guilty Draco sat, several hickies on his neck.

"Yes!"

"You had your girlfriend over when you were babysitting?" Severus demanded, willing to forgive Draco for having someone in his apartments without his permission, but not willing to let the fact that Draco had been alone with a girl go. "Draco Scorpius!"

"I know, I know, but-"

"But nothing, you two aren't married and you shouldn't be having relations!"

"How'd you know-"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "I know what the 'I just had sex' face looks like, Draco. Shame on you."

Draco looked down at the carpet. "I'm sorry. It's just that I wanted to get closer to her, you know?"

Severus sighed. "In two short years, you'll be 17 and you two can get married. Trust me, Draco, waiting will be good for you."

Draco nodded, looking contrite. "It won't happen again...Astoria and I talked about it and we decided it would be more special if we waited."

"Atsoria and Draco say when I get older I'll want to be touched." Hermione pipped up. "But I don't believe him."

"Good, because if a boy touches you- he'll die." Severus promised, hugging her tightly. "What did you do all day?"

"I colored pictures for you, and Draco and Astoria cuddled naked on my bed."

"ON MY DAUGHTER'S BED!?" Severus yelled at Draco, furious beyond belief. "What is wrong with you?!"

"We cleaned up! And we didn't dare do it on your bed!"

"You little-" Severus stopped and shook his head. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Draco." He smirked. "Now go to supper." He ordered, ruffling Draco's hair. "And be sure to tell your girlfriend that I expect a 14 inch essay, from the both of you, on the merits of chastity by tomorrow."

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"Daddy, where do babies come from?" Hermione asked, looking up from the book Severus was reading her. Clearly the conversation he had had with Draco about the merits of chastity had been overheard.

"Well, when somebody wants a child very very much they get blessed with a child."

"You wanted me?" Hermione asked.

"I wanted you very very much." Severus admitted, hugging her tightly.

"I thought a mummy and a daddy had to make a baby, not just a daddy." Hermione asked, looking lost.

"Well, a woman and a man need to make a baby, but that doesn't make them a mummy or a daddy." He explained.

"Like how my old mom and dad weren't really my parents, but you're my daddy?"

"Exactly." Severus agreed, pleased he didn't have to go into specifics.


	30. Chapter 30

As always, Severus awoke at five a.m. and set about wrapping up a few Christmas gifts as the Holiday was only a two weeks away. Thankful that Hermione usually slept in as long as she was allowed to, Severus made use of the few hours he was allowed to be completely alone. Not that he didn't mind his daughter's company, not at all, it was just that he had always been a private man and he craved alone time just as much as anyone else…if not a slight bit more.

He was carefully wrapping up a self-brewed floral bottle of perfume for Narcissa with obnoxiously sparkling silver ribbons he stuck an unnecessarily large silver bow atop the gift and set it aside, satisfied with his artistry.

He was preparing to wrap up a Hand of Glory for Draco, as he had seen his nephew eyeing it a few nights prior when he'd taken the boy along on an impromptu night visit it to Knockturn Alley, when he heard his bedroom door creak open.

"Daddy?"

Severus sighed, relieved that he did not have any of Hermione's gifts laying out in the open. She was little yet, he still wanted her to believe in Santa. He'd never had the chance to experience such wonder, and he didn't want his precious cherub deprived off such Christmastime wonder.

"What is it, Cherub?" Severus asked, turning around from his perch on the floor to look at his young daughter.

"I can't sleep, Daddy."

She yawned heavily, both Dotty and Thomas clutched in each perfectly chubby hand. Shuffling forward on the carpet, she made her way over to him and practically fell into his arms. She wriggled about for a few moments until she had positioned herself into a comfortable position on his lap, and rubbed at her eyes with her fists.

"Why can't you sleep, hmm?" Severus asked, pressing his lips to her forehead to gauge her temperature. She didn't feel warm.

"I'm not tired anymore." She explained slowly, bright-eyed and alert.

"Of course you aren't."

Severus smirked, not even bothering to attempt to coax her back into going to sleep. This was not the first time his daughter had woken up early, and it surely wouldn't be the last. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle, and he'd had plenty of experience with Draco waking early as well.

"Daddy, whose birthday is it?" Hermione asked, noticing the presents strewn across his floor.

"These are Christmas gifts, Hermione." Severus explained patiently.

"But I though Santa brought gifts!?" Hermione accused, eyes filling with tears.

"No, no, no! Don't cry." Severus soothed. "Santa does bring gifts, I promise."

"Then why are you wrapping them? I thought his elves did that." She crossed her tiny arms across her chest in a furious manner, a scowl playing across her face.

"Hermione, Santa does bring presents to the good boys and girls. But he's not the only one who gives presents on Christmas." Severus comforted, hugging her tightly. "Family members also give out presents. These are the gifts that I am giving."

He held his breath nervously until Hermione's scowl turned to a small smile and the anger vanished from her young face. Thankfully she had bought his story and a major disaster had been averted.

"How am I supposed to give presents, Daddy?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"You're little yet, no one expects you to buy them presents." Severus explained. "But if you'd like you can come shopping me with sometime this week and I'll let you help me pick out some nice gifts. How does that sound?"

"Can I bring Dotty and Thomas?!"

"Of course you can. We couldn't leave those two behind, could we?" Severus asked rhetorically.

"Never!" Said Hermione solemnly, before a confused expression took over her face. "Daddy, none of these are my presents, are they?" She was understandably confused as the presents strewn on the floor were obviously not purchased with a child in mind.

"Of course not." Severus smirked. "I'd hardly think you'd like any of them."

"So only Santa is bringing me presents?" Her face fell, and Severus was quick to rectify the situation before tears could form.

"Don't be silly, Cherub. Lucius and Narcissa and Draco and Harry and Ron and many other people will bring you gifts, don't you fret."

"What about you, Daddy?"

That seemed to be Hermione's only concern and Severus quickly realized that his daughter was worried her father did not like her enough to get her gifts.

"I got you many gifts." Severus chuckled. "But I've hidden them well so prying, little eyes can't peek and see what they got before Christmas."

"Oh! Of course!" Hermione's smile was back and she wrapped her arms about his neck in a hug. "How silly of me." She exclaimed, mimicking the sugary voice that Narcissa used whenever she told his daughter she was behaving in silly manner.

"You're just the sweetest thing, aren't you?" Severus asked, grinning widely now.

"I'm a doll." She quoted, mimicking Narcissa's voice.

"Yes. Yes, you are." Severus agreed, scratching Crookshanks beneath the chin as the cat sauntered in and crawled atop Hermione's lap.

"Daddy, Crookshanks is a good boy. Is he going to get presents?"

"Of course. Santa won't forget him. And neither will anyone else."

Severus agreed, stretching out to grab a large sack of very potent catnip he'd purchased for the half-kneazle. Once the brilliant Crookshanks realized what the pouch held, his eyes widened and his ears began to twitch madly which caused Hermione to giggle.

"Do you think we should let Crookshanks have one of his presents early?" Severus drawled, wriggling the pouch vigorously enough that even more of the potent stench filled the room.

"Yes," Hermione nodded, "He's been a very, very, veryyyy good boy." She declared.

"Alrighty, then."

Severus opened the sack up and the smell increased to levels that had Severus recalling his youth and the days he'd spent partaking of various potent 'herbs.' Smirking at the memories he grabbed a pinch and placed it in front of the cat.

The effects took place almost immediately and within five minutes both Severus and Hermione were laughing hysterically as the cat raced about the apartment in pursuit of something that was not there, emitting almost hyena-like sounds as he all but climbed up and down the walls.

"He sounds like a Gob-shite, Daddy!"

Severus was so amused with the antics of the cat that he almost did not comprehend the fact that his little Cherub had sounded off a dreadfully disgusting swear. The smile quickly fell from his face as it finally registered.

"Hermione Narcissa Granger!" Severus exclaimed. "Just where did you learn such a filthy word?!" He demanded, keeping his voice level despite feeling the urge to yell.

"What word?" She asked innocently, looking frightened as she clutched Dotty to her chest and bit her bottom lip.

"The word that you just said." Severus replied calmly.

"Gob shite?" Hermione questioned, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"The last part of that, Hermione." Severus corrected.

"Shite?"

"Yes. That word." Severus sighed, flinching as it came from the mouth of his sweet, innocent, daughter. "That is a very ugly word. Ladies don't speak that, it is very unflattering. Men shouldn't speak like that either."

"I didn't know!" Hermione protested quickly. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, you are not in trouble. This time. But I hear that word out of your mouth again you will be." Severus promised. "Now, where did you hear that word?"

"I heard Minewa calling Sybil a gob shite." She exclaimed, clamping her hands over her mouth when she realized she had said the forbidden word.

"It's okay, it slipped out."

Severus couldn't believe it! Minerva, Minerva of all people had taught his daughter such filthy language. He had left Hermione alone with her for ten minutes last night, and it had been at the professors table during supper! The teenagers in the castle hadn't been foolish enough to slip up around his daughter, but apparently a full-grown witch was. He'd have to have words with her later.

"Daddy, why are some words bad?" Hermione asked. "And which words are bad?"

"There are many bad words, Cherub. And if you learn a new one and I hear it, I will tell you that it is bad."

Be certainly wasn't going to list off a whole list of the vulgar words, he didn't want to give her any ideas.

"Why are words bad, Daddy?" She asked again.

"Some words are bad because they are used to hurt people's feelings. And some words are bad simply because of their nature and how they are used." Severus lectured. "You are a very pretty and intelligent girl, Hermione, and dignified girls and boys don't use those words. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. I won't say Gob- I won't say that word again. I promise." She insisted, stretching up to kiss his cheek.

"Good girl." Severus praised, planting a kiss of his own on her cheek. "Now let's go see what Crookshanks is doing."


	31. Chapter 31

Severus and Hermione were inside a large mall within a moderately-sized muggle town Severus knew no other magical being would frequent. Which was precisely why it was a town a frequently visited. Really the only reason he journeyed into Hogsmeade was for the firewhiskey and for the items of a magical nature.

"Daddy, can I take my coat off now?" Hermione begged as soon as they entered the well-heated mall.

"Of course, Cherub."

Severus kneeled and removed the coat, gloves, and scarves, revealing the tiny child that had been well hidden beneath all the winter garb. Throwing all the cold-weather gear into the shopping cart he grinned down at his daughter.

"I was starting to think I'd lost you in all those clothes." He teased.

She giggled and held up Dotty.

"You got to take off her coat, too."

She insisted, having left Thomas behind for the very reason that he did possess a single coat. Unlike Dotty, who come equipped with dozens of choices for winter wear. Grabbing said doll he quickly removed the coat and hat and threw it into the cart, handing the doll back to his daughter who had been waiting patiently.

"Do you want to ride in the cart?" Severus asked.

"The front part of the cart is for babies." She scowled. "I ride in the big part of the cart."

"If you ride in that part of the cart there will be no place to put the gifts." Severus reasoned, eager to avoid a tantrum. "But you can ride on my shoulders if you'd like."

"Okay!"

She smiled and lifted her hands up and Severus skillfully hefted her up unto his shoulders.

"Hang on tightly." He warned. "And don't drop Dotty."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Alright, let's get started. Shall we?"

In was a little past one when they finally finished shopping, a process that had been lengthened by numerous times that Severus had been forced to stop and chat with various muggle woman, all of whom had been unable to resist her undeniably cuteness. Granted that he had done quite a bit of bragging once the conversations had started…he was proud of his daughter after all.

Finally they had managed to escape and the many bags of gifts were now shrunk and resting within one of his pockets. And upon remember that a wonderful café resided within the town, Severus decided that the two of them could catch a late lunch.

They were now seated at the bar of a café, seated upon two stools that just happened to have the ability to spin. Of course this delighted his little Imp, and Hermione had happily entertained herself by spinning about madly as fast as she could. But Severus had quickly put an end to it after she nearly toppled to the floor, and Hermione now sat still, only twisting about and slowly at that.

"Isn't she just precious?"

A very elderly lady that had been seated beside them turned in her stool to smile at Hermione, her eyes dancing as she clearly recalled memories long since passed. Hermione, sweet as always, offered her a large grin at the compliment and crawled into the ladies lap without any warning at all.

"Hermione!"

Severus scolded her, making himself a mental note to have a long chat with the child about the dangers of stranger once they returned home. He couldn't just have his daughter crawling into the laps of strangers, no matter how innocent and harmless they looked. And he certainly didn't think such action a good habit to develop…not when she would be returned to 14 eventually. He didn't want her crawling into the laps of boys, after all.

"Oh, don't be cross with the little one." The old lady pleaded. "She's just made a lonely old woman's day a little bit brighter."

"I'm Hermione. I'm four."

"I'm Pearl," The lady replied, "I'm ninety-seven."

Hermione's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened comically. "That's almost a hundred." She whispered.

Pearl laughed, the sound very robust despite her advanced age. "Oh yes, child, I've been around for quite a while. But I must say, I've never seen a little girl as cute as you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" The waitress came from nowhere and poked Hermione on the nose. "Get up here and show everyone your adorable outfit."

The waitress hefted Hermione up unto the counter so that the entirety of the café could see his daughter in her entirety. And while Severus was greatly uncomfortable with all the attention, he was admittedly proud that his daughter was the object of such public favor.

And Hermione seemed thrilled at her chance to model the outfit she had picked out that morning, pride radiating off her face as she grinned widely out at the small crowd. And what a sight his little Cherub was! Wearing a sparkling white dress, with a tulle bottom that flared out as she danced about, she had completed the outfit with a pair of white boots and a white headband that held back the loose curls that had become natural once Narcissa's hair regiment had had a few weeks to work its magic.

"You'll be beating the boys off that one if a few years." An older man laughed, gesturing across the booth at his teenage daughter. "You'll want to start early, trust me."

Severus nodded at the sage wisdom and allowed Hermione a few minutes more of modeling before he reseated her and ordered two cups of hot chocolate and a few grilled cheese and bowls of tomato soup for the both of them.

It was four in the afternoon by the time they returned to Hogwarts, and Severus was thoroughly tuckered out and ready for a nap. Having spent the last few hours at a muggle park chasing after his daughter and it had taken its toll on his prematurely aging body (thanks to Voldemort.) He would have loved nothing more than to have a nice glass of wine while Hermione played quietly.

Unfortunately his plans came to naught as they arrived on the grounds while an apparent sledding competition was taking place. A rather shoddy competition as whoever had spelled up a large mound of snow had not been able to pile it up any higher than ten feet and the sleds that had been transfigured, while impressively made using underage magic, were mediocre at best.

"Can I sled, too!?" Hermione pleaded, giving him the puppy-dog eyes he had never been able to resist.

"We've had a long day…and it's getting awfully late, don't you think?" Severus tried to change her mind, but even as he spoke he knew it was pointless.

"The sun isn't even down!" She protested loudly, drawing the competitor's attention over to them. "I want to play!"

Severus sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, giving in.

"Fine."

"Yay!"

In seconds Dotty was pressed into his hands and Severus quickly shoved the doll beneath his robes, feeling emasculated so long at the girl toy was seen in his possession. Glaring sharply at the Slytherins and Gryffindors that had gathered her issued a dire warning before spelling up a stool for him to sit on.

"If she gets hurts, you ALL get hurt."

He'd long since given up putting on an angry façade when it came to his daughter, and the only time he ever put on an act was when a select few Slytherins happened to be around. It was simply too difficult to pretend to hate his daughter.

"Come on, Hermione." Astoria beckoned. "You can be on our team."

"I want to take a turn with everyone." She insisted.

"Alright, alright." Draco soothed. "But you can go down the hill with me and Astoria first."

"You call that lump of snow a hill?" Severus drawled, raising a brow at his godson.

"It was the best I could manage." He protested. "No one else could get it any higher."

Severus rolled his eyes once more and lazily flicked his wand, enlarging the mound of snow until it stood at a good twenty feet- fun, but not deadly should something happen. As everyone stood around gawking at the small mountain, Severus fixed the sleds and made them exactly alike- wanting to avoid any disputes that should arrive should one team win and be accused of having the better one working in their favor.

"The sleds will carry you back up the hill if you command them to do so." Severus drawled. "But before you begin, I must ask. How did it come to be that my Slytherins are getting along with the Gryffindors?"

"We're not getting along!" Several voices protested, looks of forced dislike showing on everyone's faces. "It's a competition is all."

"Right." Severus rolled his eyes. "Go. Play."

And with that they were off, leaving Severus to watch with his wand at the ready in case Hermione should be in an danger during the activities.


	32. Chapter 32

"I'm going use green and silver!"

Hermione announced loudly, holding up two bottles of sparkling nail polish before she seated herself unto the carpet in front of Ron's and Harry's bare feet.

"Why did we ever agree to babysit?" Harry sighed, grimacing as Hermione carefully began to color his big toe with silver.

"Because Malfoy couldn't and everyone else is busy."

Ron frowned as he offered up the reply, wishing that he had refused Snape's request that they watch Hermione. Because while they had managed to resist her pleas for them to allow her to paint their fingernails and do their makeup, they had been unable to refuse most of her other pleas when she used her puppy eyes. Which met that they were now having their toes painted after having undergone a torturous hour of participating in a tea party.

"Are we getting paid for this?" Harry asked, sounding only semi-serious.

"I should hope so!" Ron exclaimed.

It had barely been two hours and already he was prepared to bash his head in with whatever blunt object he could find. How the hell had his mother dealt with seven kids? She was a wonder woman! He'd have to make sure to get her something really nice for mother's day, having finally come to the understanding that his mother was nothing short of a saint.

"This is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday morning." Harry muttered.

"Only six more hours to go." Ron groaned, looking at the clock and noticing it was only nine. "I am never having children."

"You got to get a girl first, Ron." Harry teased. "And seeing as how your girlfriend is four at the moment, you don't really have anything to worry about."

"Stuff it, Harry!" Ron growled. "Or I'll tell Hermione you want her to braid your hair."

"I can braid your hair, Harry!" Hermione squealed. "Stay here and I'll go get my brush!"

Before Harry could even protest Hermione had run off to go get her brush from her room and Ron laughed loudly as Harry glared daggers at him.

"I'll do yours too, Ron!" Hermione sang, returning with her brush in one hand and fistful of silver ribbons in the other.

"Hey Hermione, why don't you do Ron's hair first? It's longer and it'll be easier to braid it?" Harry offered.

"No. You first, Mr. Potter." She said sternly, perfectly mimicking Snape's voice. "Your hair is an absolute disgrace!"

"He's really rubbed off on her, hasn't he?" Ron asked.

"Obviously." Harry growled, flinching as Hermione began to work her 'special' brush through Harry's mop of hair.

"You need my special hair balm, mister." She declared loudly, running off to the bathroom as Harry groaned loudly.

Choir practice had finished up earlier than expected so Draco had decided to go and check up on Potter and Weasley as Severus had requested he do so should he get the chance. So honoring his uncle's wishes he made his way through the dungeons and let himself into Severus's rooms. He helplessly doubled over in laughter at the sight that greeted him, dropping to his knees as tears streamed down his face.

And while Weasley's bare feet displayed the fact that his toes were now painted in Slytherin colors, and he now wore a monocle with a top hat, Potter was the object Draco's laughter. Hunched over and with his arms crossed, Potter was facing the corner as he sat in Hermione's time-out chair. And if that had not been hilarious not, his nest of hair had been slathered in Hermione's hair balm and brushed into a tiny ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck.

"What's with Potter, Weasley?"

Draco questioned the ginger boy who looked like he was struggling to hold back chuckles of his own.

"Harry's in timeout for swearing." Weasley replied, struggling to keep his voice even.

"He was naughty!" Hermione added. "He's got to sit for ten minutes! It's longer because he kept talking and I had to keep restarting the time."

"Right." Draco nodded, noticing the sand timer Severus used to keep track of Hermione's time outs sitting on the coffee table with the green sand still nearly at the top.

"Weasley, why doesn't Potter just get out of the chair?" Draco asked, quietly so that Hermione would not hear as she played about with her blocks.

"He can't." Weasley shrugged. "Hermione's accidental magic is acting up. He can't leave until she lets him."

"Don't her let know her accidental magic is more powerful than most forms, alright?" Draco warned.

"Believe me, Malfoy. I won't." Weasley promised, massaging his temples with a weary expression playing across his face.

"Didn't my uncle tell you that you can distract her with puzzles when she gets bored?"

Draco asked, referring to the piles of puzzles Severus had bought for the girl. The majority of which were highly advanced as his uncle had soon discovered she'd fiddle with the toys for hours until she solved it, thus becoming easily distracted when a moment of quiet was needed.

"Bloody hell!" Weasley whispered. "I forgot about the puzzles!"

"Yeah, obviously." Draco smirked.

To say that Severus was surprised when he returned to his apartments promptly at ten minutes past three was an understatement. While he had not expected a complete disaster area when he returned home, he hadn't been prepared to see the rather expansive pillow-and-blanket fort taking up more half of his living room. The four different laughs and giggles coming from within said fort only added to this pleasant surprise.

Crawling inside the magnificently built fort he wound his way throughout the folds of fabric, amazed to find that it housed no less than six rooms and that each room had a door of its own. It was impressive work to say the least.

Finally arriving in the room that housed the people he was looking for, Severus made his presence known by loudly clearing his throat as he sat upright upon the carpet in the fort. Smiling as Hermione crawled into his lap, he squeezed her briefly.

"Did you behave, Cherub?"

"Yes!" She insisted, kissing his chin.

Severus waited until Harry and Ron had given their nods before he peppered his little princess with praise. It was then that he noticed Potter and Weasley's colorfully decorated toes. Smirking, he raised a brow at the duo and inwardly chuckled as their faces turned red.

"Let me pay you before I forget."

Severus reached into his pocket and withdrew the money, handsomely awarding each teenager for their hours of service. When each boy had humbly accepted their payment Severus politely thanked them and turned to Draco.

"Why is it so dark here?"

"We're telling ghost stories, Daddy!" Hermione explained brightly.

"Ghost stories?" Severus frowned slightly.

"Its fine, Sev." Draco insisted. "She loves it."

"Fine, but if she's too scared to go to sleep tonight I'm blaming you." He warned his nephew.

"I won't get scared, Daddy." Hermione promised. "And I'll just sleep with you if I do."

"Very well, continue."

"Can we roast marshmallows, Daddy?" Hermione begged.

"You can't make a fire inside a fort, Hermione." Ron reasoned.

"I beg to differ, Mr. Weasley."

With a flick of his wand Severus accioed a smaller cauldron into the fort along with a few pieces of kindling. Setting the wood ablaze, Severus accioed a bag of marshmallows from his stockpile of sweets along with a few bars of chocolate and graham crackers. Finally he conjured up a few metal sticks and handed them out, helping his daughter out as the teenage boys quickly began to roast the white squares, practically salivating like all always-hungry teenage boys did when confronted with food.

"Severus, you tell one. Yours are the creepiest!"

Draco pleaded, giving his the puppy dog eyes he knew Severus would be unable to resist.

"Yeah, Daddy! Please!"

"My horror stories are mentally scaring and not for the ears of four year olds." Severus reasoned, quieting the girl as he placed a s'more in her hands.

"You told them to me when I was four!" Draco protested.

"And your mother nearly killed me for it, too." Severus replied calmly, inwardly shuddering at the thought of an irate Narcissa.

"But I don't have a mummy, Daddy. So you can do whatever you want." Hermione added, her face already sticky with white goo and chocolate.

"Fine!" Severus caved in. "But don't come crying to me when you can't get to sleep tonight."

What do you think, guys? Should Draco and Hermione end up sleeping with Severus tonight because they got scared? Should Harry too? Should there be an impromptu sleepover? Should I include Ron, or no?


	33. Chapter 33

As expected, Hermione was now fast asleep in Severus's bed after she had experienced a terrific nightmare that bore great similarities to the stories he'd told the kids earlier that day. So now, feeling like a complete asshole for reciting such stories to his daughter, he sat up in bed and read from a potions journal. It was nearing midnight and Severus was almost positive Draco would soon be along to join him.

Sure enough at 12:15 Draco arrived, looking slightly spooked at having to traverse the dark castle alone and looking harried at having to avoid detection from Filtch. Severus didn't even say anything, not wanting to embarrass his godson, and patted the free side of the bed no occupied by Hermione or himself. Draco quickly climbed in under the blankets, pulling them up to his chin as he curled up against Severus's side in the same manner Hermione was doing to his other side.

"Go to sleep, Draco." Severus whispered, kissing his temple. "I'll keep the nightmares away."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was nearing two in the morning before Severus decided he felt tired enough to turn in for the night. Placing his journal upon an end table he slumped down atop the mattress, careful not to jostle his sleeping family members. He had just closed his eyes when another knock sounded on his door.

Confused and annoyed he sat upward and pondered who could be at his door this time of night. Very few people knew where his rooms even were. Suspecting it might be a professor requesting his help for some odd reason, he carefully crawled off the bed in a very catlike manner and made his way to the front door, eager to rid himself of the guest before the sleeping children woke up to find him gone.

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Harry stood nervously outside the door to Snape's apartment, worried that he would get detention for bother Snape at this worry and more concerned about the prospect of being turned away and forced to return to Gryffindor tower all alone in the dark castle. He was also quite embarrassed that he was 14 and terrified because of some ridiculous horror story. It was only out of desperation that he'd gone to Snape, hoping that the man would have mercy on him and give him a dreamless sleep potion.

He nearly yelped when the door was opened seconds later, revealing a very harried-looking Snape in nothing but black, flannel pajama bottoms.

"You got scared after all, didn't you?" Snape sighed, opening the door wider while gesturing for Harry to come inside.

Harry felt himself color slightly and he stared down and his bare feet, expecting Snape to start humiliating him at any moment. Snape was only nice when Hermione was around, why hadn't he realized that?

"Its fine, Potter." Snape soothed. "Draco couldn't sleep either."

Harry looked up at that. "Really?"

"Really." Snape assured. "Where is Weasley?"

"He was snoring when I left the tower, Professor."

Harry answered, embarrassed that his best friend had no problems at all falling asleep. He was 14, he was too old to be afraid of stories. He had to defeat Voldemort, after all! He was being completely ridiculous.

"Come on than, Potter."

Snape stalked off and Harry followed after him, confused as the man lead him into his bedroom. Waiting quietly for Snape to tell him what to do, Harry stared at the two people asleep atop the large king-sized bed. Hermione was curled up into a little ball, breathing lightly as she clutched both Dotty and Thomas close to her chest. Draco was simply sprawled out ungracefully, snoring softly as he drooled unto a pillow, hugging a well-worn green dragon plushy in one arm.

"You can sleep with us tonight Potter." Snape sighed, crawling into the large bed.

"Wouldn't you rather just give me a dreamless sleep potion, sir?" Harry asked, not wanting to be a burden.

"No, Potter. You need to be able to fall asleep without the aid of potions." Snape drawled, pulling Hermione closer so that even more of the right side of the bed was open. "And I don't want you sneaking your way through the castle at this time of night, especially not under the influence of a potion so potent."

"I don't want to be a bother." Harry insisted.

"There is plenty of room on this bed, Potter. The only way you'll be a bother is if you keep arguing with me."

"I don't want Draco to make fun of me, sir." He said softly, staring down at the floor.

"Don't be stupid. He's sleeping in my bed too, isn't he?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus forced himself not to flinch as Potter, half-asleep, scooting closer to him on the bed and rested his head upon his shoulder. Rolling his eyes he made himself pretend that Potter was no different from Draco, even though he knew full-well that it was a lie. Draco was family. Potter was not. The only reason the Gryffindor was even there was because Severus had felt pity upon seeing his fear-stricken face. That, coupled with his inability to see pain in eyes so familiar to Lily's, had been the only reason Potter was allowed to stay.

Shifting slightly to get comfortable proved difficult as Draco conked out and half-splayed across his right side, Hermione was passed atop his chest, and Potter was currently prohibiting movement of his left side as he proved to be a much lighter sleeper than both Hermione and Draco who slept like the dead.

Severus had just gotten comfortable, a miraculous feat, when Potter began to mutter in his sleep. It was when he began to whimper feebly that Severus gently shook him and called his name, waking the teenager after a few moments of jostling.

"Professor?"

"You were having a nightmare, Potter." Severus explained. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry." Potter whispered. "I'll be good. I'll be quiet."

Severus froze at the words, recoiling at the fear laced within them as he recalled making the same promises to his father as he beat upon him mercilessly for the slightest provocation. But surely Potter was pampered…wasn't he? Petunia may have been a total bint, but she wouldn't abuse a child, would she? He shook his head at the ridiculousness. Albus wouldn't leave Potter in a house to be abused….of course he wouldn't….

"I asked if you were alright." Severus repeated, taking care to keep his voice calm.

"I'm okay."

But Potter did not sound okay, his voice was cracked and thick and Severus was sure he was either fighting back tears or already crying. Rolling his eyes, Severus rubbed Potters back in a comforting manner and briefly shushed him.

"Do you want to talk about it, Potter? I'll listen." He offered.

Potter was quiet for a long moment, and Severus waited patiently for a response. Finally, after a long five minutes, Harry sniffled loudly and swiped tears away from his face. Severus made the mistake of looking and his heart squeezed painfully as he saw Potter's bottom lip quivering.

"Everyone's going to die because of me!"

Potter whispered, surprising Severus who had expected to hear nothing but a few worries about pertaining to the story he had told that afternoon. Clearly Potter's nightmares had had a more sinister nature to them, and Severus frowned heavily as Potter lost his composure and turned into a sobbing mess that could rival that of one of Hermione's sobbing fits. Clearly Potter had been suppressing things for far too long.

At it only stood to reason that Potter should keep to himself when he had such adult worried plaguing him. Sirius was obviously far too carefree in nature for Potter to believe he could have a serious conversation with him, and Remus was always off with Tonks or off in the werewolf colonies on Order business. And clearly Albus was completely out of the question on the grounds that he was a manipulative old coot. And while the Weasley's would have been a good option, Potter likely felt he'd be a burden going to them. And he couldn't really talk to them when he was stuck at Hogwarts, could he? Which, unfortunately, left Severus up for the task.

"Don't be foolish, boy." Severus said firmly. "No one will die because of you. Voldemort will be defeated- soon, and everything will go back the way it should be."

"People will still die." Potter sniffed, sounding miserable.

"People die Potter, but I promise you that they are prepared to do so. Even if you weren't the boy-who-lived, people would still die for you. And that doesn't mean you should feel guilty. It means you should be proud of those people for their bravery, and proud of yourself for being someone worth fighting for." Severus gave him a tight squeeze. "And you're not the reason for their deaths, Potter. Voldemort is, along with all the others who blindly follow him. Nothing you could have done would have changed that."

"You're just saying that." Potter accused.

Severus scoffed. "Why would I go out of the way to make you feel better?"

The teenager hiccupped at that pressed closer to Severus, his breathing evening out as he struggled to calm himself. Allowing the contact, Severus continued rubbing the boys back, reflecting once more on the fact that he should be getting paid a whole lot more for the things that he was forced to do.

"I don't want anyone else to die."

"I know. But Voldemort will be dead soon, a few more months at the most." Severus comforted. "And I'm pretty sure even Black can keep himself from getting killed in the interim."

Potter chuckled weakly at that and wiped his face dry.

"When Voldemort is dead, do you think Dumbledore will let me stay with Sirius?"

"I see no reason why he wouldn't." Severus comforted. "And I promise to plead your case should he refuse."

"Really?"

"Really." Severus agreed. "Now try and get some sleep, Potter. I'll stay up until I'm sure your asleep."


	34. Chapter 34

It was seven a.m. and Severus was wide awake, having been trapped atop his bed for the last two hours. Hermione was completely passed out atop of his body, her head resting on his stomach. Draco was sprawled out oddly, his head on Severus's shoulder and with leg thrown over Severus's own. And Potter was currently pressed very tightly into his other side, his head on Severus's other shoulder. Severus could not move a single limb without jostling any of the occupants in consciousness, and as they all looked so peaceful he was very reluctant to do so.

He was saved from his discomfort when Narcissa and Lucius arrived half an hour later and walked into his bedroom, clearly concerned that Severus was still asleep at this hour of morning.

"Having a bit of a sleepover, Severus?" Narcissa asked, looking amused at the sight of Potter.

"Stuff it, Narcissa. I'm in no mood." Severus growled.

"I take it you were telling horror stories, again?" Lucius asked, sending Severus a look that made it clear he felt he had deserved such a punishment because of it.

"It wasn't even the most frightening one…" Severus sighed.

"Professor?" Potter yawned widely, eyes still-closed.

"Wake up, Potter. It's time for breakfast."

Yawning widely, Potter sat up and rubbed his eyes- allowing Severus to gain mobility of right arm again. Sighing in relief, Severus gently jostled Hermione awake.

"Morning Daddy," She yawned, "Morning Lucius, Morning 'Cissa."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What time did Potter get here last night?" Draco asked, spearing a sausage with a fork.

"He's not deaf, Draco. Why don't you ask him, yourself?" Severus replied, sipping on his steaming cup of black coffee.

"Potter, what time did you get here last night?"

Potter, who was still quite shy about being around so many new people, stared down at his plate of breakfast and shrugged.

"Around two."

"You're lucky Filtch didn't catch you." Draco muttered. "He was on the warpath last night. He almost caught me."

"I have an invisibility cloak." Potter explained, passing the syrup over to Hermione when she stretched for it.

"A real invisibility cloak?" Draco was understandably impressed, given that high-quality invisibility cloaks were extremely rare and hard to come across.

"Yeah."

"How'd you get one of those?" Draco demanded. "There's probably only in six in existence."

"It was my dad's."

An awkward silence filled the room at the mention of Potter Sr., given that all three adults had had some sort of hand to play in his death. The only one who seemed oblivious to the uncomfortableness in the air was Hermione, who was happily humming as she 'helped' Dotty drink some of her orange juice. It was finally broken when Lucius loudly cleared his throat and turned to Severus.

"So, Severus. What story was it that you told the kids?"

"The one about the demon Bagul." Severus drawled. "And I must admit, it wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done."

"Don't say his name, Daddy!" Hermione protested hotly. "It's scary!"

"Sorry, Cherub." Severus pacified. "I won't do it again."

"Harry, did you get scared of the story too?" Hermione asked sweetly.

Potter's face colored quickly. "Yeah…a bit."

"It's okay. Daddy can keep your nightmares away whenever you have them."

"Eat your breakfast, Hermione." Severus insisted, wanting to keep her from embarrassing Potter any further.

Happily she complied, gobbling down a few bites of French toast before turning Potter once more.

"How come you don't have a plushy, Harry?" She questioned. "They keep the bad dreams away and the monsters."

"I'm too old for a plushy, Hermione." Harry said patiently, obviously uncomfortable.

"Na-uh! Draco has a dragon plushy and he's the same age as you." Hermione reasoned, causing Draco to blush.

"I guess I just never had anyone give me a plushy." Potter explained. "It's fine."

"You've been a good boy, Harry! I'm sure Santa will bring you one if you ask."

"Right. I'll keep that in mind." Potter muttered.

"Hermione, finish your breakfast." Severus repeated, nibbling on some toast.

"Is Harry gonna stay for lunch?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sure he has other things to do today, Cherub. " Severus reasoned, not wanting Potter to feel like he had to stay.

"But I want to play hide and seek with him and Draco." Hermione protested gently.

"Draco has homework to do this morning." Severus explained calmly. "And after lunch both you and Draco are taking a nap."

"I'm too old for naps!" Draco argued.

"Listen to your uncle, Draco." Narcissa scolded. "I'm sure you lost quite a bit of sleep last night and a nap wouldn't hurt."

"Besides, I need to wrap a few of your Christmas gifts and I won't have you trying to peek." Severus said firmly. "So stop your arguing and finish your breakfast. All three of you."

At his command the two teenagers and young child dug into the meals, quiet for a glorious ten minutes before Hermione started up her line of questioning again.

"Harry will you stay? Because we can play hide and seek after naptime." She asked, fixing him with puppy-dog eyes so sweet, Severus already knew he'd be having a third child under his watch that afternoon.

"I don't know…" Potter hesitated. "I don't want to impose…"

"It's fine Potter. You can chose to stay if you wish." Severus sighed. "I can help you with your homework alongside Draco."

"Really?" Potter perked up at the prospect, likely tired of receiving detentions for turning in shoddy work.

"Yes." Severus nodded. "But you can chose not to stay, if you'd like."

"If Potter stays he has to take a nap too." Draco growled.

"Indeed he does." Severus said firmly, refusing to deal with two crabby teenagers and a crabby child to boot.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was nearing one in the afternoon, when it soon became apparent that all three children were ready for their naps. Draco and Potter had been going at each other's throats since lunch had finished, and Hermione had been rubbing at her eyes all day long.

"Alright, to bed." Severus declared, scooping Hermione up into his arms. "Draco- you and Potter can take my bed."

"I don't want to sleep with Potter!" Draco protested.

"Go, Draco! My bed is more than big enough for the two of you." Severus clapped his hands once, sending his godson scurrying into his room to avoid his wrath.

"You too, Potter." Severus ordered, stalking off with Hermione into her room.

"We can play hide and seek when I wake up, right?"

His daughter asked, clutching Dotty and Thomas closely beneath each of her arms as she yawned loudly.

"Yes, Cherub." Severus smirked. "Now go to sleep."

"M'kay, Daddy."

"Good girl." Severus praised, kissing her cheek before heading back into the living room.

He came up short when he noticed Potter hadn't obeyed his request and was instead packing up his schoolbooks and schoolwork into his backpack.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, Potter?" Severus demanded, crossing his arms.

"Back to Gryffindor tower?" Potter explained hesitatingly. "I'll come back to play with Hermione later."

"I told Draco and Hermione that everyone was having a nap, Potter. And that means you too." Severus drawled, pointing to his bedroom door. "Now go."

"It's fine, really. I'll-"

"Now, Potter." Severus growled. "You can either take yourself to bed like the 14 year old you are, or I can carry you there kicking and screaming."

"You can't keep me here!" Potter snapped, his trademark anger beginning to display itself.

Severus raised a warning brow but when Potter remained defiant he strode over to the teen and grabbed one his arms and twisted it behind his back. Landing two sharp smacks to his bottom, Severus re-grabbed one of Potter's arms and led the now-cowed teen into his bedroom where Draco was already half-asleep.

"Get in bed, Potter. Now."

Potter glowered at him but crawled beneath the covers, turning instantly to rest on his stomach rather than his back. When Severus was satisfied that the boy would stay, he flicked his wand and had a hippogriff plushy come to his side. Tossing the thing to Potter, he bid each teen a nice rest, and left them alone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harry scowled as the door to the bedroom was shut, vowing to himself that he would not fall asleep simply in order to spite Snape. He was 14, not 4. Snape had no right putting him down for a nap like he was some sort of toddler. Especially when he wasn't anything to Harry but his most hated professor. And how dare he swat Harry? Professors weren't allowed to do that. They could only give detentions and take points.

"You got smacked, didn't you?" Malfoy asked, startling Harry as he was sure the aristocrat had fallen asleep.

"Stuff it, Malfoy." Harry growled, pushing the hippogriff plushy to the floor.

"You stuff it, Potter." Malfoy argued, kicking at Harry's leg and missing bt several inches.

"Hey, cut it out." Harry hissed, slapping Malfoy's face with one of Snape's many pillows.

"Stop it, Potter! Severus will hear." Malfoy growled, smacking Harry repeatedly with one of the heavier pillows.

"You started it." Harry disputed, grabbing hold of Malfoy's stuffed Dragon and slapping the blonde boy in the face with it.

"Stop touching Dracula, Potter."

"Why? Will you tell on me if I don't?" Harry antagonized.

"GO TO SLEEP, YOU TWO!" Snape's voice thundered into the room.

"We'd better listen to him, Potter." Malfoy warned.

"Fine." Harry growled. "But I still hate you." He added, throwing Dracula back at Malfoy.

"I hate you too, Potter."

"GO TO BED!" Snape ordered again. "DON'T MAKE ME COME IN THERE!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry rolled unto his side and stared angrily at the wall. It wasn't long before Malfoy began to snore softly, and it was much longer after that before Harry realized he was falling in and out of sleep.

Determined to stay awake, he snaked a hand down at picked up the hippogriff, turning it over in his hands to entertain himself as he couldn't think of any better to occupy himself with. With confusion he noticed that the thing smelled heavily of lavender, a scent that did wonders to increase the levels of his sleepiness.


	35. Chapter 35

It had been three when the children had finally awaken (Draco with much prodding from Hermione) and the four of them had spent a good two hours playing hide and seek as they had promised Hermione they would. And after that had lost its thrill for the small child, she had begged and pleaded for Severus to read to them all until supper.

And that was how he found himself reading aloud from the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, with Hermione on his lap and Draco and Potter on either side of him as they sat upon the couch in his living room.

"Daddy, what's a n***er?" Hermione asked, a look of innocence on her face as she heard the unfamiliar term for the hundredth time as the literature was laden with it.

"That is an awful word, Hermione." Severus explained. "One of the nastiest there is."

"What's it mean, Daddy?"

"It's a mean thing to call someone with dark skin." Draco clarified.

"Like Blaise?"

"Exactly." Severus nodded.

"If it's such a bad word, why does Huckleberry keep calling Jim that?"

"Hermione, a very long time ago darker-skinned people were forced into being slaves. They were not treated very nicely and they were called many awful names like the word we're talking about. Calling someone that word implied that they were animals and less than human."

"But Huckleberry's supposed to be nice. Why would he call Jim that?"

"A long time ago people thought it was okay to treat people that way." Severus drawled. "But Huckleberry knew that it was wrong and that's why he's helping Jim to escape."

"If it isn't okay for people to treat people that way, why are people mean to me because I'm a mudblood?" Hermione demanded. "It's not fair, Daddy! I can't control it and people like Jim and Blaise can't control their skin either."

Severus swallowed, having been unprepared to have such a serious conversation.

"Sometimes people get very confused, Cherub. And when people are confused they start to believe the lies people tell them. Lies like colored people and muggleborns being stupid and animal like."

"But why doesn't someone tell them they're wrong?"

"Some people just get set in their ways and become too hard-hearted to change. Or maybe some people are forced into being that way."

"Daddy, what's a deatheater?"

Severus nearly dropped the book he was holding, and he fought to compose himself.

"Where…where did you hear that word, Cherub?"

"Pansy said I was a mudblood and that the deatheaters are going to get rid of me because I'm disgusting and worthless."

"She said that to you?" Severus felt his face turn red as the anger boiled within his veins.

"No. I was in the bathrooms and I heard Pansy telling Macelficent that." Hermione explained, looking put-out as she recalled the cruel words.

"Why didn't you tell me you heard them say that?" Severus asked, hugging her tightly.

"I forgot until now, Daddy." She explained. "And besides- it doesn't matter what they think because you told me their wrong. And Cissa says I am smart, I am kind, and I am important."

Severus cupped her face in his hands. "Yes. You are. And don't you ever forget that, okay?"

"I won't Daddy." She promised. "And you know what?"

"What?" Severus humored, his heart still constricted painfully.

"I think Pansy and Macelificent are important too. They're just confused, aren't they?"

"Yes. They are very confused. And Daddy is doing everything he can to help them."

"They're big girls, Daddy. You can't make them." Hermione explained. "You can only try to."

"You're such a clever thing, aren't you?" Severus asked, kissing her cheek.

"Severus?"

This time it was Draco seeking to gain his attention, and Severus held out hope that he would not have to answer any more difficult questions. But judging from the look on his face it became evident that that was exactly what he'd be doing.

"Yes, Draco?"

"Do you think the house elves feel the way Jim does?"

"I think they are very confused Draco. They don't know what freedom is and it scares them."

"But what about Dobby?" Potter asked. "He loves being free."

"Dobby is the exception not the rule. He got lucky, and I'm sure it took him a very long time to become accustomed to his freedom."

"But if they don't know that they want freedom doesn't it make it worse that we trick them into thinking they should be proud to be slaves?"

"I think so, yes, Draco. But I think if they are ever to be liberated we need to go about it slowly."

"What about the goblins and other magical creatures that are discriminated against?" Draco continued. "They must be miserable. Because they know they should be allowed to be free."

"Yes, and that is a very valid point." Severus agreed. "But I think we need to take care of this war first, before we can go about setting everyone free. It'll be go much more smoothly if we do."

"But when the war is won they'll still be people who want to things the way they are."

"That is a very valid point, Potter. But evil is powerless when the good are unafraid." Severus drawled.

"Daddy?"

Severus held his breath, prepared for yet another question about morality and ethics.

"Yes, dear?"

"What's for supper?"

Smiling from relief, Severus ruffled her hair.

"We're ordering from the house elves tonight." Severus explained. "And I'm pretty certain they said something about spaghetti."

"And meatballs? And garlic bread?" Hermione questioned.

"Of course, you can't spaghetti without those things." Severus humored. "Potter, you can stay if you'd like. You and Draco still have to finish up your charms essay, and I can help you both after supper."

"Thanks, sir." Potter muttered shyly. "Can I ask a favor?"

Severus raised a brow in his direction, indicating he could continue.

"Well, I have a late essay due in History of Magic. It's already finished but I was wondering if you could check it over?"

"How late is it, Potter?"

"Very."

Clearly the boy was trying to avoid his wrath, causing Severus to wonder just how late the paper was.

"Elaborate, Potter."

"Almost a month." He mumbled, almost inaudible.

"A month!?" Severus demanded. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It's boring." Potter offered weakly.

"You'll be hard-pressed to become an auror if your grades continue to remain so abysmal." Severus warned. "What other classes do you have late work in?"

"All of them save for potions and transfiguration."

"And just why is that?"

"You and Professor McGonagall scare me…the rest of them don't."

"And why haven't you sought help from your professors if you are falling behind?" Severus drilled.

"Every time I do they just tell me not to worry about it and send me away." Potter explained. "And then I just get more and more behind because I didn't learn anything the last week."

Severus shook his head and rolled his eyes. "As much as I am loath to suggest it, you may come to me after classes and I will help you catch up on your work."


	36. Chapter 36

Certain stereotypes existed for a reason, of that, Severus was sure. And the generalizations of Slytherins being crafty and sneaky were just as true as any other. People could call them evil all they'd like, but the fact would always remain that they were just jealous of the ingenuity and ambition they possessed. A Slytherin simply knew how to get what they wanted, a very respectable trait when it didn't involve mass genocide and class wars.

So utilizing his inborn Slytherin traits, he waited for Potter to arrive so that they could begin their Occlumency lessons. Having discovered that Potter wasn't as excited about learning as most, Severus still found he could entice the boy with subjects of a more exciting and obscure nature. And, as expected, Potter had jumped at the chance to learn such a skill.

It was just a plus for Severus that teaching the boy such an art would allow him to get answers to the questions he had. And while some might consider what he was doing manipulative, Severus much preferred the term clever.

After all, Potter wouldn't know how to keep his mind blocked and Severus would be able to search his mind and figure out if he was being abused or not. And it being 10 at night, Potter would be a bit sleepy, making it even easier for Severus to navigate his memories. And, if it turned out Potter was being mistreated, Severus could use the sleepiness to trick him into talking more freely about that.

Severus saw nothing wrong with what he was going to do. It wasn't as if he'd intentionally go after Potter's private memories, Severus would only search for what was pertinent. And it was for Potter's own good, Severus reasoned. It wasn't like he was doing this for fun- not when he hated emotional outbursts which Potter was sure to have once he discovered what Severus had done.

It 10:15 when the boy finally arrived, late as usual, but looking contrite because of it for once. Ushering the boy in with a scolding look, Severus lead the pajama-clad Gryffindor into his bedroom and gestured for Potter to climb up unto the bed.

Potter looked confused but did as bid, crawling atop the large bed and scooting up to lean against the headboard with a nervous expression on his face. Climbing on the bed himself, Severus sat on the opposite edge and tossed the hippogriff plushy over to the teenager. When Potter looked like he was about to throw it to the floor, Severus leveled him with a sharp glare and the boy opted to place the hippogriff at his side instead.

"Do you remember what I told you about Occlumency, Potter?"

"Occlumency is the magical defense of the mind against external penetration?"

"Very good, Potter." Severus praised. "Are you ready to start?"

He nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly and Severus resolved to be as gentle as he could be. Contrary to popular belief he didn't set out to mentally scar children for life, not even the Gryffindors.

"What would you like me to do, sir?"

"To begin, I need you to be relaxed Potter. I brought your plushy in because I thought he might help you remain calm. Not to embarrass you."

"When did this thing become mine?" Potter asked, poking at the plushy.

"When I gave him to you." Severus drawled. "Everyone should have one, and believe me, you are not too old to have one."

"Oh." Potter colored slightly. "Thanks."

Severus nodded at the appreciation and removed the wand from his pocket.

"Alright, I'm going to attempt to gain access to your memories. You are going to try and keep me out."

Severus spoke slowly, letting Potter absorb the information, whilst he left of the fact that it would be impossible for Potter to repel him. It would be pointless to let Potter struggle against the strength of his magic as it would only frustrate him. And a frustrated Potter was a whiny, bratty Potter, and Severus did not take kindly to insolent behavior.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You need to remember to stay calm, Potter. And when you feel me enter your mind I want you to try and repel me either by willpower or trickery."

"How?"

"Using willpower is best for beginners like you. And what that means is that you will concentrate very carefully on using your mind to push me out. Using trickery is much more difficult. For example, if I was looking for certain a memory and you didn't want me to find you, you could imagine yourself locking that information up and hiding it away in the darkest recesses of your mind. Or, for a beginner like you, it would easier for you to imagine locking information up into an imaginary box or closet." Severus cleared his throat. "As you get more skilled in this art, you'll be able to place false memories into your mind with ease. So if someone assaulted you and went into your mind after a specific event, or if you wanted them to think something had happened, you'd be able to fool them into thinking those thoughts were real."

Potter's smile faltered. "That sounds really difficult."

"That's because it is, Potter. Occlumency is not something that one masters overnight."

"Well, let's get started then…"

"On three, Potter." Severus warned, raising his wand. "One…Two…Three!"

Severus gave the boy a few moments to brace himself, even though it wouldn't do any good at all, and effortlessly launched into the teenagers conscious. Weaving unfettered through the jumbled mess, Severus easily placed the pointless and private memories off to the side, having already promised himself he'd only go after memories that showed signs of abuse.

Much to his chagrin, it did not take long at all for Severus to find the memories he was after. His stomach churned unpleasantly as the first one cropped up, an image of a large beefy man (his uncle) wailing mercilessly on a very young Harry with Petunia looked on with cold, indifference. A few thoughts later showed Petunia smacking toddler Harry across the face with a wooden cooking spoon, cursing at him loudly for being a freak. After just a few moments, the memories became angrier and more violent and Severus pulled out of Potter's mind, utterly disgusted and sick to his stomach.

The sight that greeted him upon his return to his own mind did little to improve his humor. Potter was hunched over, tears raining down his cheeks, as he clutched the stuff hippogriff closely. Not yet realizing that Severus had left his mind, Potter shook madly and his eyes remained glazed.

"Harry. HARRY. HARRY!"

Severus gently shook Potter's shoulder, finally bringing the boy back into the conscious world after a few minutes of gentle prodding. Emerald eyes suddenly clear, Potter swiped at his eyes and looked accusingly at Severus.

"You knew I wouldn't be able to block you!" Potter accused.

"I knew." Severus agreed. "But it wasn't to be cruel, Harry."

"You waited until I was tired and vulnerable and you…You tricked me." Harry said hotly.

"I wanted to know that you were alright, Harry." Severus soothed.

"Why would you!?" Potter accused.

"Because I was worried about you!" Snape growled. "And obviously I had cause to be."

"You don't care." Potter growled, still crying heavily.

"I do, Harry."

It killed Severus to admit it, but it was the truth. He had started to care about the boy's wellbeing. One way another the Gryffindor had weaseled his way into Severus's heart, making Severus see him as a nephew/godson like figure. And if things hadn't gone south with Lily, there might have been a very good chance that Severus would have been one of the boys godfathers.

"Why?" Harry demanded. "People don't care about me unless they have too."

"Come here, Harry."

Severus held his arms open, gesturing for him to come closer. Thankfully the boy was too tired to argue against it, he crawled into his lap and threw his arms around his neck, crying heavily and without restraint.

"Don't you say that, Harry. People care about you simply because you are worth caring about." Severus soothed, rubbing his back. "You are smart, you are kind, and you are important. The things your aunt and uncle did to you aren't right, and you didn't deserve any of it."

"Why does Dumbledore keep sending me back?" Harry moaned.

"I don't know, Harry. But I'll have words with him. I won't let you go back there." Severus promised. "I'll even talk with Black if I have too."

"You're not going to ask me what I did to deserve it?" Harry asked.

"You didn't deserve it. Not at all." Severus insisted.

"I must have." Harry argued, crying harder.

"You listen to me, Harry. You did not deserve any of that." Severus said firmly. "My parents abused me too, and for the longest time I thought I'd deserved it. It was a very long time until I realized it wasn't my fault."

"You were abused?"

"Very badly." Severus nodded, hugging Harry tighter.

"Is that why you're so angry?" Harry asked, a hint of joking in his voice.

Severus smirked and wiped at Harry's face with his sleeve. "That seems to be the general consensus." He chuckled.

"You're still going to teach my occlumency right?" Harry asked. "Without tricking me."

"Yes. And I promise you that this was the last time I'll trick you like that. I'm very sorry I had to do that."

"It's okay. I understand." Harry sniffled loudly, leaning heavily into Severus. "Can I go to bed now, though?"

Severus nodded. "You can sleep here tonight, Harry. I'll crawl into bed with Hermione."

Harry nodded and slipped beneath the covers, startling slightly as Severus tucked in the blankets and ruffled his hair.

"Can you hand be Witherwings?" Harry yawned, gesturing at the plushy he had evidently graced the hippogriff with one of Buckbeaks nicknames.

"Here you go, Harry." Severus pressed the stuffed animal into the teen's arms, turning out the lamp on the bedside table. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, sir."


	37. Chapter 37

Christmas holiday had just begun the day prior and Severus was already exhausted as Hermione had been done nothing but jump off the walls for the past few days from sheer excitement upon realizing that Santa would be visiting her very soon. His only relief from the unnaturally energetic child came last night, when he had packed them both up and headed to Malfoy Manor for the duration of the holiday like he had done every year since he'd been 11. His reprieve had come in the form of Narcissa and Lucius, who'd been eager to spoil her senseless while he turned into bed early.

But the first night had ended abruptly, with Hermione skipping into his room extremely early with humming a very loud, and very cheery holiday song. And as much as Severus would have loved to scold her and send her back to bed, he found it impossible to do so when she jumped up into his bed and kissed him on his chin.

"Daddy, you're warm." Hermione commented. "Should I get 'Cissa?"

"No!"

Severus answered quickly, not wanting to deal with over-coddling from his brother and especially not from his sister-in-law. At most he had a simple cold, something he'd be able to fight off with minimal effort on his part. He certainly didn't require any medical attention from an overprotective Malfoy duo.

"Daddy, are you sure?" Hermione pressed.

"Positive, Cherub." Severus insisted. "But could you do Daddy a favor?

"Yes!" She nodded quickly, eager to please.

"Daddy left his cloak downstairs on the sofa and he has some cough drops in the pocket of his cloak. Can you got and get them for me? Without waking Narcissa?"

He didn't have to worry about Lucius being awoken, the Malfoy patriarch had been the one to pass down the sleep-like-the-dead gene to Draco. It was Narcissa he was worried about, the woman slept as lightly as he did- if not more.

"I'll be right back, Daddy." Hermione smiled. "You stay in bed."

She added firmly, taking off out of the room before he could even thank her or remind her to keep quiet.

He waited patiently for her to return, slightly annoyed she had left his bedroom door open in her haste to retrieve the throat lozenges. Crookshanks, having an unnatural ability to discern when the doors to places he wasn't allowed in were open, came strutting in minutes later and jumped up unto the bed despite Severus's protests.

Severus scowled as the cat rubbed up against him, too lazy and exhausted to rise and throw the cat out. And, if he was being completely honest with himself, he had actually started to enjoy the animals company. Especially now when he didn't feel so great.

"I should have sent you to fetch the cough drops," Severus croaked, "I'm sure you'd have been much faster…and quieter."

"And less likely to rat you out if caught."

Narcissa's voice suddenly filled the room and Severus bolted upright, causing Crookshanks to huff indignantly and stalk off with an affronted look on his face. Putting on a look of innocence Severus smiled at Narcissa and Lucius, who both had stern expressions on their face.

"Being 'caught' would imply I was doing something sneaky." Severus drawled. "All I wanted was a few cough drops. I find I rather like the taste."

"Drop it, Severus. You've been betrayed." Lucius declared, gesturing at a very sheepish looking Hermione.

"Sorry Daddy, 'Cissa caught me and made me tell." She apologized, shrugging from her perch in her aunts arms. "She told me she wouldn't let me have any candy if I didn't." She added, looking scandalized at the idea.

"It is fine, Cherub. Narcissa has had an unnatural ability for telling when someone is ill. She'd have figured it out before lunch, regardless."

"You're certainly right about that, Severus." Narcissa huffed, handing Hermione over to her husband as she approached the bed.

"Daddy are you sick?" Hermione asked, worry in her voice.

"He wouldn't have tried to avoid us if he wasn't." Lucius answered her, kissing her atop her uncombed hair.

"Open up, Severus." Narcissa commanded, brandishing a muggle thermometer in his face as the woman was rather fond of those rather than the magical method.

Severus narrowed his eyes, prepared to fight against the childish coddling. He was an adult. He was capable of deciding if he was ill or not, and he was more than able to take care of himself should it turn out he really was ill.

"I still have Draco's baby thermometer lying around, Severus." Narcissa warned. "You don't want to be difficult."

Severus, knowing Narcissa never made idle threats, immediately opened his mouth and allowed her to place the cold metal beneath his tongue. Glaring at the blonde woman he waited patiently for the beep, growing frustrated when it seemed to take a ridiculously long amount of time. He was about to spit it out, Narcissa's threats be damned, when it finally sounded off its annoying beep.

"103, Severus." Narcissa declared, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead.

"I thought he was burning up." Hermione added. "Daddy's got a fever, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does." Lucius agreed. "Why don't we go and get your Daddy some tea while Narcissa gives him his potions?"

"I can get them myself, Narcissa." Severus protested, swiping sweat from his brow.

"You're sick, Severus. You're staying in bed." Lucius said firmly, leaving the room to head downstairs for tea before Severus could even argue back.

Severus sighed, resigned to his fate. His only wish was to be cured by the morning, for he did not much enjoy being ill. He also didn't care for the type of over-coddling that resulted from such sickness, it was far too much. He may have grown use to all other types of pampering, and the quantity of it, but he was a man of routine. He didn't like change, and unscheduled spoiling was a deviation from his schedule.

"What kind of tea is Lucius bringing?" He demanded, watching Narcissa summon several potions.

"Lemon tea with honey," Narcissa answered, "The same thing everyone gets when they fall ill."

"I want white tea." Severus grumbled, referring to his favorite, very sweet tea.

"And you can have white tea after you've taken your potions and finished your lemon tea." Narcissa soothed.

"I can decide what kind of tea I want to drink." Severus reminded her, scratching at his chin.

"Are you itchy?"

"A bit." A lot actually, if he was to be honest.

Narcissa questioned, bending over the bed and pulling his sleeves up. Before Severus could even yank away from her freezing hands she gave a small groan and pressed a hand to her temple.

"Fantastic. You've got white spots." She shook her head in frustration. "You just had to go and get the grindylow pox, didn't you?"

Grindylow pox? Severus frowned heavily, that did not sound like much fun and at the very least it would last a four days. Four days of hell as he would hallucinate and lose control of his emotions and adult reasoning.

How the hell had he even got grindylows pox? Certainly he'd handled grindylows to harvest their slime for potions, but he hadn't known their colonies were undergoing a breakout of their disease. He'd have never been handling had he known they were.

"I don't want grindylow pox." Severus growled, already miserable.

"I know. I know." Narcissa soothed. "But we'll take care of you. We'll get you feeling better. Now drink these potions, Severus. So you can drink your tea as soon as Lucius comes up."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was only 10 in the morning and already Severus was absolutely miserable and crabby and driving Lucius to the brink of insanity. Stubborn, petulant, and all-together fussy, Severus was behaving worse than a spoiled toddler.

"I want to switch back to my other pajamas."

Severus fussed, tugging at the nightshirt Lucius had forced him into after he'd sweated through his fifth set of regular pajamas. Even the lightweight cotton ones failed to keep his brother his cool, and finally Narcissa had ordered Lucius to change him into the nightgown whilst leaving just the boxers on for bottoms.

"You sweated through them all, and vomited on the rest." Lucius reasoned. "Besides it's much too hot for regular pajamas."

"I don't want to wear a dress!" Severus growled. "I'm not a girl."

"You may take the gown off Severus, but you'll just be in your boxers." Lucius compromised.

"Off." Severus declared, lifting his arms in indication he'd like Lucius's assistance.

Lucius complied, removing the garment for his ill, younger brother. Tossing it into a hamper, along with the other vomit-stained, sweat-soaked garments, Lucius smooth down Severus's black hair.

"Are you feeling any better, Severus?" Lucius asked, pressing the back of his hand to Severus's forehead.

"No." Severus grouched. "I'm itchy. And hungry."

"I can get you more lotion, Severus." Lucius soothed. "But you can't eat for at least an hour. Not until your stomachs had a chance to settle."

"I want ice cream, Lucius." Severus protested. "I haven't eaten all day."

"You had some toast and soup, Severus. And you threw it all up."

More specifically, Severus had thrown it up all over the front of Lucius's robes and all over the bed and blankets. And if that hadn't been enough Draco had been the target for a particularly nasty stream of projectile spew when he'd hurried into the room to see if he could help.

"My stomachs better now." Severus insisted.

"An hour, Severus." Lucius said firmly.

"But-"

"No. No buts." Lucius declared sternly, staunching a tantrum before it could start. "But if you can behave until the hours up I'll let you have your ice cream."

"Not just vanilla?"

"I'll let you have chocolate if you promise not to tell Narcissa." Lucius allowed, kissing his brother's forehead. "Now let's get some lotions on those spots, hmm?"


	38. Chapter 38

To say that it had been a long six days would be an understatement. It had been nothing but hell for Severus, and that was putting it lightly. He couldn't even imagine what he'd put the Malfoy's through, and he'd have to find some way to make it up to them. And poor Hermione! He hadn't been able to give her all the endless praise and attention she deserved! He'd have to certainly make amends, now that he finally felt well enough to sit up in bed and the hallucinations were gone.

"Severus?"

"Come in, Draco." Severus called quietly.

"You're not going to vomit?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "I haven't got anything in my stomach to dispel, Draco."

"Good, because we brought snacks!" Hermione squeaked out, excitement in her voice.

Severus frowned. What was his young daughter doing up awake at two-thirty in the morning? What was she and Draco up to? And snacks? What the hell was going on?

He didn't have to wait long for his answer. Seconds later the door swung open and Hermione ran up into his bed while Draco closed the door behind them, a tray overfilled when biscuits and sweets in his arms.

"Are you feeling better, Daddy?!" Hermione questioned, peppering him with kisses on the chin as she'd been unable to do so whilst he was in quarantine.

"Shh, 'Mione!" Draco scolded. "Don't wake Mum."

"Whoops!" She turned to Severus with a stern look on her face. "Shh."

"Believe me, Cherub." Severus grinned. "You don't have to tell me how to Slytherin."

"You, however," Draco smiled down at her, "Have a lot to learn."

"Good thing I have so many teachers." Hermione grinned, grabbing a biscuit from the tray as her cousin placed it down on the bed and mounted the mattress himself.

"Minerva's in for such a rude awakening…." Severus commented, sharing a smirk with his godson.

"Eat up, Daddy! We snuck in all this stuff just for you."

"You don't have to ask me twice." Severus smiled. "Not when it comes to eating such delicious food."

"Just don't tell Mum." Draco warned, casting a nervous glance at the door.

"I don't have a death wish, Draco." Severus soothed.

"'Mione!" Draco yelled suddenly. "Don't-"

Severus turned his attention to his daughter just in time to see her biting into an overly large jelly doughnut. Not used to the nature of such jelly-filled sweets, she had no idea that squeezing it too tightly would result in the red goo within shooting out from the doughnut and into Severus's face.

There was a split second of silence, both children's faces wide-eyed, until Severus broke out into a chuckle. A chuckle that gradually turned into a laugh. A laugh that gradually turned louder and deeper as Draco and Hermione joined in. It wasn't long before tears streamed down their faces, and they were clutching their sides.

It also wasn't long until Narcissa and Lucius threw the door open and entered, cross looks on their faces until they realized how happy the moment was. And once they had realized the happiness of the scene, they joined in with the eating of sweets and laughter, Narcissa never once scolding them for eating sweets at this time of hour, nor for Draco and Hermione sneaking said sweets from the kitchen.

"These are even tastier than usual, Narcissa." Severus praised.

"Well, they're not as good as yours." She smiled. "But they're close. I had a little help." She explained, gesturing at Draco and Severus.

"I got to help decorate the ginger men and women!" Hermione grinned.

"You decorated the gingerbread men?" Severus asked, feigning surprise that the ginger men decorated with top hats and monocles and necklaces and lipstick had anything to do with her.

"Yup!" She said proudly. "Draco did some too."

Severus looked at the ones she gestured at, seeing various Hogwarts related characters. The Bloody Baron actually seemed to make up the majority of such, along with several decorated in obvious parody to Dumbledore's eccentric robes.

"Don't worry, Daddy. We're gonna make more sweets tomorrow and you can help too. We're going to decorate the tree too!"

"Oh my!" Severus smiled. "Sounds like I've got a fun day ahead of me for tomorrow."

"Yup!" Hermione laughed, kissing his chin. "I'm so happy you feel better! I missed you."

"I missed you too, Hermione." Severus agreed, kissing each of her cheeks.

"I was really good for 'Cissa and Luciush too." She added, looking smug.

"Good girl." Severus praised, ruffling her hair and he pulled Draco into a hug. "So, what'd I miss while I was being detained?"

"Blaise and Theo came over and we built and army of snowmen!" Hermione explained. "They're still in the yard so you can see them tomorrow."

"Fun. I can't wait to see them." Severus smiled.

"Draco and the boys got in trouble, too. They were swinging from the chandelier like monkeys." Hermione informed him, mimicking Narcissa's voice.

"I thought it would be a good idea…it's not like the chandelier isn't reinforced with magic." Draco defended.

Severus raised a brow in his direction. "I think Potter's starting to become a bad influence on you."

"Potter and I aren't friends." Draco muttered. "He's just someone that I have the misfortune of knowing."

"It didn't seem such a 'misfortune' when you and your mates were sledding with the Gryffindors." Severus countered.

"It wasn't playing." Draco said hotly. "It was a competition. And we won."

"I may be a grouch, Draco. But I know what playing is when I see it."

"You must still be delusional from the pox, Severus." Draco teased. "Boys my age don't play."

"Yes they do! Blaise and Theo were playing with me. And Theo even let me do his hair." Hermione argued. "He has great hair, Daddy. It's soooo soft."

Severus smirked. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. It's long and soft like a girl's but he's a boy. And he has really nice eyes, too."

"Oh?" Narcissa asked. "It sounds like you enjoy his company."

"I do!" She insisted. "He's so smart."

"And what else?" Narcissa coaxed.

"He's really cute too." Hermione stage-whispered, in Narcissa's direction.

"No boys!" Lucius and Severus said together.

"But you and Lucius and Draco and Harry and Ron are boys….?" Hermione explained.

"No kissing boys." Severus amended.

"Ewww!" Hermione squealed. "I'm not going to do that! Icky!"

"Good." Lucius smiled. "No kissing Theodore- ever."

"And no kissing redheads." Severus added quickly. "Any of them."

"Trust me, Daddy." She said seriously. "I won't."

"Clever girl." Narcissa praised. "But it's getting late, why don't we all go back to bed. We've got a full day ahead of us."

"Can I sleep with Daddy now that he's better?"

"Great idea, Cherub." Severus smiled, pulling her closer. "I've missed you."

"Goodnight, 'Cissa, goodnight Luciush, goodnight, Draco." Hermione yawned.

When all the goodnights were exchanged, along with bedtime kisses, the Malfoy trio headed out- Lucius discreetly bringing the tray of sweets with him when Narcissa was distracted by a sloppy kiss from his her niece.


	39. Chapter 39

"Draco, where's Hermione?"

Narcissa asked, looking around the living room for said child as she'd been left in Narcissa's care while Lucius was at work and Severus was off with Dumbledore knowing who-knew-what. And while she hadn't asked Draco to keep an eye on the child while she quickly send off a letter to Andromeda (which she'd likely end up not sending again), she had expected the small child to remain in the living room with her markers and coloring book.

"I thought she followed after you." Draco answered, not looking up from his book on ancient runes.

"That little imp." Narcissa muttered without heat, stalking out of the living room to search for said child.

Thinking the girl might be in her room playing dress up with her dolls, she made her way their first. Only to discover that the room was empty, with only Crookshanks napping inside. Narcissa headed to Severus room next, only to find the room perfectly quiet and empty. Slightly concerned she stalked into her own room, hoping the little girl wouldn't have disobeyed strict orders not to step one foot into said room without permission.

And while there wasn't anything dangerous within the room there was plenty of ridiculously fragile trinkets within. Valuables Narcissa did not want to see destroyed by clumsy, uncoordinated hands. And as sweet as her niece was, the girl had an absolutely nasty habit of getting into things she shouldn't. A practice they had all been hard-pressed to rid her of as her curious nature seemed uncontainable.

Unfortunately the master bedroom seemed to be the exact place the little girl was in. Soft, childish singing could be heard from the room. The tune carrying easily as the thick door had been left cracked open. Hoping like mad that the four-year-old hadn't caused any destruction, she pushed the door open- prepared to scold the girl and send her to timeout regardless of whether or not she'd broken anything.

Narcissa's hopes were quickly dashed as she slithered quietly into the room. Seeing red, she could only stare stupidly as she noticed the wanton destruction the former Gryffindor had wrought.

Face smeared with Narcissa's extremely expensive cosmetics, she sat upon a stool in front of Narcissa's vanity. But that was not what had Narcissa's blood boiling, nor was it the fact that the child had evidently stained the carpet and bedspread with bright red lipstick and pink rouge.

No, what had provoked wrath was the fact that Hermione had somehow discovered and removed Narcissa's extremely special photo album from the small chest she kept beneath the large bed. And if that wasn't a serious enough, the girl had obviously adorned herself with several of the necklaces and rings within said chest.

Hermione had violated Narcissa's memory chest. A beautiful chest that she'd carefully filled with all the mementos and keepsakes there was to be had in regards to Andromeda. A box filled with the jewelry Andi had left behind in her haste to leave, and overflowing with the letters the two had exchanged over the years while Andi had gone off to Hogwarts and Narcissa couldn't. And letters that secretly come after Andi had ran off with the muggle man called Ted- letters that gradually stopped coming…

Narcissa had to take a deep breath to keep from throttling the child when she noticed all that the girl had done. The sapphire necklace that had once been Andi's favorite, and was now Narcissa's favorite, had been broken- several of the dark blue stones strewn across the carpet haphazardly. What had once been a picture of the three Black girls, when they'd been eleven, thirteen, and seventeen was now cracked- ruining the happy vibe the picture had once give off as they laughed and giggled with the frame.

And the mess did not end there. The dozens of carefully folded letters that had been carefully preserved within the box were no longer creaseless and neatly organized. They'd been carelessly creased, disorganized, and stained up with messy, careless fingers.

And what was the worst affront of all was what her niece had done to the photo album that held so much sentimental value. The pages had been ripped and smudged with make-up smudged fingers- the pictures discolored as well by the same things.

Narcissa stared dumbly, mute with rage. All those hours. All those endless hours that she'd spent scrapbooking, carefully making certain that each page of the book was perfect. Each picture perfectly centered and each caption nothing but brilliant. All that effort she had put into making sure that she'd never forget her sister. All that work…gone. Besmirched, violated, and destroyed.

"Hermione Narcissa Granger!"

Just like Severus, Narcissa seldom yelled when she was angered. Rather her became lower and much quieter. Something that Draco did not hesitate to inform her of once she'd calmed down.

Jumping in surprise, Hermione's face blanched when she realized she'd been discovered. Brown-eyes wide with fear, the girl stared into the mirror and refused to turn around and face Narcissa. But the little girl had no idea just how much trouble she was in.

"What do you think you're doing?" Narcissa growled, beginning to cry. "You turn around and look at me! Now!"

The girl slowly turned, and once she had Narcissa stomped across the room and roughly cupped her face in her arms.

"What did you do?!" Narcissa yelled, the shock having worn off completely and been replaced with fury. "You're not supposed to be in here! Are you?!"

"I-"

"ARE YOU?!" Narcissa repeated. "You're not allowed in here, are you?"

"No- I only wanted-"Hermione was crying freely now, sobs racking her body as she tried to escape Narcissa's grasp.

"It doesn't matter what you want!" Narcissa snapped. "Do you have any idea what you just did!?"

"I only looked in your box. You don't need to be cross!" Hermione protested, a pout forming on her face.

Narcissa lost her cool then, and without warning she yanked the girl from the stool. Yanking the jewelry from the child as quickly and gently as she was able, she placed it atop the vanity and flopped down on the stool before dragging Hermione across her lap. Flicking up the skirt of her dress, and removing the bottoms, Narcissa landed a harsh swat on her bottom as the girl continued to howl and voice her protest.

"You KNOW you aren't allowed in here!" Narcissa scolded. "You KNOW better!"

"Stop it 'Cissa!" Hermione sobbed. "I'll tell Daddy!"

"You're damn right, you will!" Narcissa scolded. "You just wait until your father gets home!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"You don't ever go somewhere you are not allowed!"

"I'm sorry, 'Cissa!" Hermione wailed.

"Those were Narcissa's special things, and you had no right touching them! Those are very important to me!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Hermione was howling and screeching by the time she was done and when Narcissa saw the bottom was a dark shade of red she forced herself to stop. Replacing the clothing to its proper place, Narcissa hauled her up into her arms- ignoring the kicking and screaming and biting as Hermione continued to protest loudly at the treatment.

And protest she did. Steaming mad, Hermione screamed loudly when Narcissa dropped her into a chair in the corner of the living room. She even refused to sit still and remain the chair until Narcissa landed another harsh smack on her bottom. Leaving the sobbing girl in the now empty-living room, Narcissa went to rectify the mess her niece had made in the master bedroom.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

To say that Severus was not well pleased upon his return from a meeting with Dumbledore was a gross understatement. He'd already spent a vexing four hours dealing with the eccentricities of the headmaster, and he was livid upon his return to discover that his cherub had been anything but a little angel. Not only had Narcissa sobbed to him about the mess Hermione had made, she'd also informed him of the major tantrum Hermione had thrown when she'd been placed in timeout. If that hadn't been enough to raise his ire, Hermione had apparently kicked petulantly at Lucius when he'd gone with Narcissa to remove the furious girl from her timeout.

"Hermione Narcissa Granger," Severus kneeled in front of the girl, "I want you to look at me and tell me what you did. Everything. And I want you to be honest."

Hermione sniffed, looking completely wretched with her tear-stained, makeup-smeared face. She looked a complete wreck and it was all Severus could do to keep from scooping her up and administrating comfort.

"I-I went into 'Cissa's and Luciush's room without permission and I ruined her things and I kicked Luciush and I screamed at 'Cissa." She said all in one breath, struggling to remain calm.

"That was very awful of you, Hermione." Severus scolded. "Those things were very special to Narcissa and you didn't have any right to be in her room to begin with."

Hermione nodded, smudging the makeup even further.

"And you know better than to throw a tantrum. Especially after you get punished, and definitely not because you got punished."

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She sniffled. "Can I go give 'Cissa a hug?"

Severus shook his head.

"Narcissa is very upset right now." Severus explained. "But what's going to happen is that you're going to have a quick supper and then a bath and then you're going straight to bed. And I don't want to hear any complaints about it not being your bedtime. Do you understand?"

When he received a nod in return, Severus held his arms open and allowed his daughter to throw himself into his arms. Hugging her tightly he allowed the girl to cry hysterically into his shoulder, shushing her as she sobbed out apologies.

"Come now, Cherub. You can see Narcissa and Lucius after you've eaten and had your bath."

"I don't want a bath, Daddy." She sniffed. "The water will hurt my bottom."

Severus gave a firm look.

"Perhaps that will serve as a reminder to behave. You're just lucky I don't add a spanking on top of the one Narcissa gave you."

Hermione nodded tiredly and allowed Severus to feed her a quick supper of lasagna and garlic bread sans dessert despite it being her favorite- chocolate cake. And once he'd taken her into a bathroom and removed the garish amounts of makeup from her face with a quick, yet thorough bath, he'd redressed her in her favorite pajamas in an attempt to offer her some sort of reprieve.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Narcissa waited until she was sure Severus was ready to put Hermione to bed before she walked into Hermione's room. She was all sobbed out about Andi, and it was time to make peace her young niece. They'd both had time to cool off, and Narcissa did not let the sun go down on any anger she felt toward a family memory.

"Hi, sweetie." She sang, smiling brightly despite the fact that Hermione flinched at the sight of her.

"Hi 'Cissa." She whispered, still snuggled closely to Severus who didn't have the usual bedtime story in his hands as that was part of the punishment he'd decided.

"Can we talk?"

Hermione nodded, clutching Dotty closer.

"I don't get a bedtime story, so we have plenty of time." She said sadly. "I was bad."

Narcissa carefully climbed up into the bed next to her and scooped her into her arms, ignoring the way the girl tensed up at the transfer. Smoothing her hair down, Narcissa rocked her gently, rubbing her back as she did so.

"I love you very much. No matter what." She whispered. "I may have been very cross with you today, but I still love you. And I don't want you to be scared of me. I'll never ever punish you like that without reason."

Hermione sniffed but relaxed, snuggling a bit closer to Narcissa as she continued to rub her back.

"I'm very sorry, 'Cissa. I shouldn't have been in your room and I shouldn't have touched your stuff. Especially not your chest. I didn't know it was so special to you. I won't do it again." She promised, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, sweetie." Narcissa soothed. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, 'Cissa." Hermione promised.

Narcissa grinned, grabbing a book from the bedside table.

"I know you're in trouble, Hermione. But I think your Daddy won't mind if you I read you a quick five minute story." She smiled, before whispering in her ear. "I also brought you a biscuit for dessert, shhh."

"I'll leave you two girls alone then." Severus smiled, clearly wanting the girls to be able to talk freely.


	40. Chapter 40

Narcissa was brushing out her long, golden locks when a soft knock sounding on her bedroom door. Wondering why Severus would be needing her at this early of an hour, she furrowed her brow and rose from her stool to open the thick door. She was shocked to Hermione, wide-awake, bouncing with energy, and with a coloring book page clutched in both of her hands.

"What have you got there, sweetie?" Narcissa asked, kneeling down and pulling her niece into a hug.

"I colored a picture for you, 'Cissa." Hermione explained, pressing the paper into Narcissa's left hand.

"So sweet." Narcissa crooned, pulling back the page so she could get a better look at the artwork.

It was obviously a page from one of the muggle coloring books Severus had bought for the girl, as the finished artwork hadn't become animated once all the lines had been filled carefully filled in. But the stillness of the crayon filled picture did not take away from the brilliance of it, and Narcissa found herself grinning helplessly at the page that depicted a mother reading to her daughter from a large book of fairytales.

Hermione had evidently spent a great amount of time on coloring the scene, there was hardly any smudges of color escaping the outlines, and that was quite the feat for a four year old. Smoothing out the creases of the paper, Narcissa smiled softly when she realized Hermione had made the woman's hair blonde and the child's hair a dark shade of brown.

"This is absolutely beautiful, Hermione." Narcissa praised. "Did you do this all yourself?"

"Uh-huh." Hermione nodded against her chest. "They reminded me of us, so I colored them that way. Because you're almost my Mummy."

Narcissa's hear constricted painfully and she blinked a few tears back as she squeezed the girl tightly.

"What a wonderful picture." Narcissa repeated. "Absolutely wonderful."

"It's for you, 'Cissa." Hermione explained.

"I'll have to frame this and hang it." Narcissa answered, honestly intending to do just that. "Come now, let Narcissa pin your hair up."

Hermione's jaw dropped and her eyes became enlarged. "With your fancy pins and clips?"

"How else would we do it?" Narcissa laughed, placing a pillow unto the stool before settling Hermione down atop the cushion.

Hermione grinned widely and sat up straight, crossing her legs at the ankles the way Narcissa informed her proper ladies sat. Smiling at the sight Narcissa picked up her brush and tamed the hair that was now far more manageable than it had been at the start of deaging. Grabbing up a comb once the semi-curls remained tames, she carefully partitioned off small sections of sleek hair and strategically stuck in the expensive, silver pins- marveling at how beautiful at how beautiful the color looked against the darkness of Hermione's hair.

Narcissa had just finished placing a clip in the midst of the hairstyle, when Hermione noticed the repaired photograph sitting in front of the right corner of the mirror. Coloring slightly in her face, Hermione bit her lip nervously before she took a deep breath and carefully touched the silver frame.

"'Cissa, is that you when you?"

Narcissa nodded and sprayed a generous amount of hairspray over the hairstyle, taking care to cover every square inch of the brown locks as Hermione's hair still had its moments of extreme rebellion.

"Yes. I was eleven." She explained. "That was my first year at Hogwarts."

"Are those girls your friends?" Hermione asked innocently.

"They're my older sisters." Narcissa explained.

"They're older aren't they?" She asked. "They look like older."

"Andromeda was thirteen and Bellatrix was seventeen."

"How come they never come over to play with you?" Hermione asked. "Luciush and Daddy are always together."

Narcissa took a steadying breath, prepared to be as honest as she could with the small girl. She'd tell Hermione all she wanted to know once, and then she'd never have to speak of it again. She didn't think she could stomach having to answer such painful questions more than once.

"Well, Sweetie, Bella…Bellatrix got into a spot of trouble and she's not allowed to be around other people because of it." She swallowed down a lump. "She's in Azkaban."

"She must have been really naughty." Hermione commented innocently. "I bet you miss her."

"Very much" Narcissa confirmed. "Very, very much."

"Which one is Bella?"

Hermione asked, thankfully not asking what Bellatrix had done to deserve incarceration. Narcissa wasn't sure she'd be able to answer that one, and she wasn't even completely sure Severus would want her to.

Narcissa pointed a delicate finger at the tallest girl in the photograph, a young woman with a beautiful, aristocratic face and a generously developed body- Rudolphus's large engagement ring sparkling as Bella's body heaved with laughter. It had been one of the rare moments Bella's face wasn't twisted up in a disdainful, arrogant sneer.

"Why do her eyes looks so odd?"

Narcissa didn't have to ask what the girl meant. Ever since early childhood Bella's eyes had taken on a strange glint that some might call 'mad.' Narcissa had never liked to refer to it that way though, not when she knew all too well why Bellatrix was so unstable. Years of physical and sexual abuse could do that to a child, and it was only by some small miracle that the same madness hadn't affected her and Andi as well.

"Bella…Bella just…is different."

Hermione nodded, thankfully satisfied with the answer- at least for now. "Is Andromeda in Azkaban too?"

"No," Narcissa took a deep breath, "Andi…Andi is too busy for me. She has her own life to live."

The truth of the words burned and she had to force them out, fighting to remain composed despite the way they destroyed her emotionally. Andi was too busy for her. Too busy with Ted. That damn muggle man who'd stolen her away from Narcissa. A hopelessly happy man who'd taken Narcissa's last protector away. Had Andi even thought about her before she ran off? Thought about what she was leaving her too? Anger mixed in with the sadness, and Narcissa willed the rage to replace the sorrow- it was far easier to stomach.

"That doesn't sound very nice of her, 'Cissa." Hermione huffed.

"I suppose I've been too busy as well." Narcissa offered, not liking to hear any of her sisters being besmirched.

"Andi looks like Bella," Hermione commented, "But her eyes are softer."

Narcissa looked at the first sister she'd been closest too, and nodded. Andromeda had always been the most tender and patient of the three sisters. Where Bellatrix was quick to be provoked into violent anger, and Narcissa was prone to passive-aggressive vengeance, Andromeda had usually been satisfied with only offering up a few nasty insults.

"They do look alike, don't they?"

"How come your hair is blonde, 'Cissa and not dark like them?"

"My mother had light hair, and I guess I was the only one who didn't inherit the typical dark hair of the Black's."

"What were you laughing at in the picture?"

"Andi had made a very naughty joke, and it surprised us is all. Usually Bella was the naughty one."

"What was the joke?"

Narcissa blushed at the memory but shook her head. "It's been so long, I really don't think I remember."

She lied, understandably unwilling to further elaborate for fear such a conversation would lead to awkward questions involving male genitalia. Which was exactly what that joke had been about. A careless remark about Rudolphus's size that had had the whole Slytherin common room in an uproar. Thankfully Rudolphus had long since graduated and hadn't been there to exhibit his fierce anger at the insult.

"You should invite Andi for Christmas, 'Cissa." Hermione offered. "I want to meet her."

"Andi has her own family to entertain."

"Really?"

"Yes, she has her own daughter." Narcissa explained. "Her name is Tonks."

"Tonks!?" Hermione's nose wrinkled up. "That sounds like a noise an elephant makes."

Narcissa chuckled at the comparison and vowed to remember it to share with Severus and Lucius once she had the chance to.

"Her real name is Nymphadora, Hermione." Narcissa laughed.

"That's a really pretty name! Why doesn't she use that?"

"Who knows? From what I'm given to understand she is quite silly."

"With a name like Tonks, she's got to be."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hermione hummed happily and carefully selected a purple crayon from her box of 500, and scrunched up her face as she tried to remember all the letters Daddy had been teaching her. She was pretty sure she knew 13 or 14 of them perfectly, but the last half was taking a lot longer to learn. Plus, she just didn't get how to put some of them together to make words. But this was important.

And because it was just so important, Hermione had channeled what Daddy told her was called her 'inner-Slytherin.' She was actually pretty proud of herself, and she would have told Daddy had this not all been a surprise. She was going to get Andi to come for Christmas! All she had to do was send off a letter, which wasn't even that hard. She had seen Daddy do it plenty of times. All Hermione would have to do is tie it to an owl and tell them where to go. And 'Cissa and Luciush had plenty of owls. She just had to make sure not to use their personal owl, otherwise they'd figure it out and ruin the surprise.

So, being pretty clever, she had asked Draco to see the letter he'd written to invite Blaise and Theo and Astoria to one of the Christmas balls 'Cissa was throwing. So now she sat with Draco's letter in front of her, frowning slightly as she copied it word for word. The only problem that came was when she tried to replace the name with the name Andi.

She had given up trying to spell the whole name. That would have been too hard. But this was difficult too. She had made the A perfectly, that letter was easy. And she knew how to make the d and the I. It was the N she was having problems with. She was always mixing it up with the letter m- even though she had an n in her name.

She finally decided to simply make a letter, hoping it was the correct one. If it was close enough, Andi would understand. Daddy always did, even when her letters were sloppy and big and not as pretty as the ones Narcissa and Astoria made.

"Daddy, can we go and pet the owls?"

Daddy looked up from his book and looked outside.

"Alright, but we have to make it quick. Supper is almost ready."


	41. Chapter 41

It was six in the morning and Severus had been wide-awake for a few hours, heavily immersed in his well-worn copy of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court.' So enthralled was he with the excellent literature written by a literary genius, he gave a slight start when he heard the magically magnified knock carrying into the living room.

He frowned. Who the hell came calling at this hour without express permission to do so? It was hopelessly rude at worst and a careless mistake at best. Placing his book on the coffee table, Severus removed the wand from his pocket. If it was Rita Skeeter again, come to harass Lucius about his past alliances, the cow was getting hexed.

He got the shock of his life when he opened the door and noticed the slightly older woman standing on the stoop. He furrowed his brow, having almost mistaken the woman for Bellatrix upon first glance. But this woman was not the disheveled madwoman he'd had the misfortune of dealing with during meetings. This was a more kind-faced, more put together, form of Bellatrix and Severus was almost certain this was Andromeda despite having been far too young to even attend Hogwarts before she'd graduated.

Hastily he shoved his wand away, figuring Narcissa would tear him a tear him a new one if she discovered he'd had it pointed at her sister's face. And even if this wasn't the famed 'Andi', Narcissa and Lucius would still be cross if he treated a guest so rudely when they were very clearly of good stock and proper blood.

"May I help you, my lady?" Severus asked, answering in the way he'd been taught.

"Severus? Severus…Snape?" She asked. "Is that right?"

Severus nodded curtly, scowling at the look of fear and disdain that flashed across her face momentarily. Who was she to judge? If this was Narcissa's sister, she really didn't have room to be a judgmental little bint.

"And you are?"

"Oh, sorry!" She smiled warmly. "I'm Andromeda Tonks…I'm Narcissa's sister."

"What are you doing here?" Severus demanded, crossing his arms. "Because, correct me if I'm wrong, I was under the impression that you and Narcissa were not on speaking terms."

"I was under the same impression," Andromeda said sadly, "But then I received a letter written in purple crayon."

The thin woman held out said letter written on muggle notebook paper, and Severus snatched it from her as rudely as he could. The woman had put Narcissa through hell, and there was no way he was going to be overly kind to her. He'd be as polite as he had to be, nothing more.

AMdi, I would like very much for you to come for Christmas.

Severus nearly smirked at the letter before he remembered Andromeda was on the doorstep and that he didn't care very much for the Bellatrix look-alike. Thrusting the letter back at said woman, he rolled his eyes.

"Do you honestly think Narcissa would've sent you a letter written in sparkling, purple crayon? And on muggle paper to boot?" Severus sneered. "And even though Narcissa has had a blissful time away from your company, I doubt she'd have forgotten how to properly spell your name."

"Obviously she didn't write this!" The woman finally snapped. "But the quality of the letter gave me cause to question whether or not I've got a niece I know nothing about."

"If you did have a niece," Severus drawled, "I fail to see how you've earned the right to know. Not when you've kept your distance, and especially not when you kept Narcissa from seeing Nymphadora when she was born."

"I wasn't aware my sister shared private family matters with just any riff-raft." Andromeda huffed, finally displaying signs of the Black temper.

Severus smirked evilly. "She doesn't," he jeered, "That's why you're unware of whether or not you have niece."

She glared sharply, taking on a Bellatrix-like gleam in her eyes as the Black sister's took some of the greatest affronts at being called out on being a shoddy sister.

"I had heard you were a nasty man." She taunted. "A man with an ugly enough temper to match his appearance." She added nastily as an afterthought.

"Oh, how clever- mocking my appearance with the same old insults you've likely heard from Black and your daughter. How creative." Severus patronized. "But whilst my face may be hard to stomach, I find that fact preferable to the problem you face."

"And what problem is that, Severus?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"It may have escaped your notice," Severus mocked, "But you've the awful misfortune of bearing a remarkable resemblance to your mad, bint of an elder sister."

CRACK!

While Severus had been expecting some sort of physical assault at the remark, he hadn't anticipated how fast the punch had come nor had he anticipated the blow to be anything but the trademark Black slap. A slap he had become well accustomed to before graduating.

He grunted in surprise as the many-ringed fist connected with his left eyes, staggering backward in surprise. Cursing loudly, he withdrew his wand, prepared to hex the middle Black sister into oblivion as he felt his rage rise to a nearly unmanageable level. He could not help it- being struck in such a manner reminded him of his father and with those memories came the fury.

"What the hell is going on out here!? Do you want to wake up Hermione?!"

Narcissa's voice carried into the foyer, but Severus refused to lower his wand an inch as he maintained the harsh glare-off with Andromeda. He could already feel his eye swelling up, and he was almost certain one of her rings had harshly scratched his eye to boot.

"Severus?" Narcissa sounded lost. "Who's at the door at this hour?"

"Your lovely sister."

Severus muttered, poking his wand deeper into Andromeda's neck. To her credit the woman had yet to flinch, despite being unarmed and at the mercy of a death eater.

"Bella?! Bellatrix is here!?"

There was an air of fear amongst the surprise, and Severus shook his head.

"No. Andromeda." He spat the word, inches from said woman's face.

"Andromeda. Andi? Andi!"

Severus was shoved to the left by Narcissa as she wriggled into the doorframe, and he gladly allowed the blonde woman to take his place as he did not trust himself to keep from retaliating as harshly as he was able.


	42. Chapter 42

Hermione may have only been four but she was smart enough to know when things had gone completely downhill. She clutched Dotty to her chest tightly as she watched the fighting by leaning over the stairwell, and she nearly cried knowing this was all her fault. She really should have asked Daddy what he thought before she sent of that stupid letter, and she silently cursed herself as she watched the row going on downstairs.

"What is going on!?" Narcissa demanded, using the scary voice she used when she got angry.

"She punched me in the face!"

"He called me a shoddy sister and called Bellatrix a bint!"

"She called me riff-raft!"

"Severus- you put your wand down! This second!" Narcissa screamed. "Now!"

Hermione watched silently as Daddy finally lowered his wand, and stuck it back in his pocket. She shivered in fear. Daddy had never looked that angry before. And he had never shoved his wand in someone's face. She bit her lip hard. Maybe Andi wasn't so nice, after all. Not if she punched Daddy in the face.

"Andi…" Narcissa sounded tired…"What are you doing here?"

"I got a letter asking me to come for Christmas."

"What? Let me see it."

Hermione held her breath as Narcissa grabbed the letter she'd written yesterday afternoon, and nearly panicked when Narcissa crumpled up the paper in her fist and threw it at her sister's chest.

"There's been a mistake, Andromeda." Narcissa's voice sounded cold. "You haven't been invited for Christmas."

"Well who sent the letter, 'Cissa?!" Andi demanded, waving her hands madly. "Did you have another child? Is that it?!"

"I'd hardly think that would be any of your business!" Narcissa yelled.

"If I have a niece I fail to see how it wouldn't be my business!"

"You get Nymphadora from me!" Narcissa screeched. "Barring me from your wedding was one thing, but not letting me see my niece was the shittiest thing you could've done!"

"I did what I had to in order to protect my family, Narcissa!"

"To protect your family? Your family!?"

Hermione whimpered as Narcissa got closer to Andi, and she was a bit worried things would get physical. She didn't want anyone to get hit, not when she knew how awful it felt. She didn't even want Andi to get hurt- even if she had hurt her Daddy.

"Yes, Narcissa! That's what I just said!"

"Where were you when Mum and Dad were knocking senseless!?" Narcissa ranted, her face red. "Where were you when Dad kept touching me!? Oh- that's right! You had run off with Ted! You left be alone, Andi! Bellatrix was gone and I had no one left to protect me! No one to share in the pain! I was your family. Me. And you chose Ted over me!"

"You were underage, Narcissa. I couldn't have taken you with me!"

"You could have!" Narcissa countered. "You didn't want to though, did you? You just wanted to run off with Ted and forget everything! Including me and Bella!"

"You had Lucius!"

"We were fifteen, Andi! We had nowhere to go!" Narcissa was crying now. "How could you do that to me!?"

"'Cissa! We would've taken you in! I swear it!"

"Only if I left Lucius!" Narcissa screamed. "I would've never asked you to leave Ted! Never!"

"I was scared, 'Cissa!" Andi was crying now. "You were following after Bellatrix like a lost little puppy and you were falling under her spell. I was scared you'd tell Dad and that he'd hurt me to keep me from leaving, or that he'd hurt Ted. I was young and scared!"

"And I wasn't!? I was the one who got the brunt of Dad's abuse and perversions! I was the one our Uncle favored! I was the one left all around while you and Bellatrix ran off with your boys!" Narcissa sniffled loudly. "Bellatrix never left me! Not by choice! She stayed by my side and protected me and you didn't! You left! I would've never done that to either of you!"

"Narcissa! I love you! Please-"

"I HATE YOU!"

Slap!

Hermione gasped loudly when Narcissa slapped Andi, and she accidentally dropped Thomas in surprise at the sound. With horror she watched as her stuffed snake toppled downward and feel in the midst of arguing adults. Wide-eyed, she tried to hide by backing up into a corner before the adults could spot her. But it was no use, Narcissa scooped up Thomas and looked upward- locking eyes with Hermione before she could even squeeze them shut.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Andromeda gave a slight start when a lengthy, plush snake seemingly dropped from the ceiling and fell at her feet. Puzzled, she looked upward the same time her sister and Severus did, and furrowed her brow when she noticed a tiny girl trying to hide herself from the confrontation she'd obviously witnessed.

She gave the child a small wave, smiling softly despite the fact that she didn't want to do anything else but cry over the way things had deteriorated between her and the sister she'd once been closet to. How had she allowed things to get this way? She was at just as much fault as Narcissa was- if not more. She was older after all…she should've taken her responsibility more seriously.

"Hermione, come here."

Severus coaxed, his voice softening by several degrees in a manner that surprised Andromeda. What had once been a sneering man with a cruel look on his face was now the perfect picture of a much beloved uncle.

She stared at the girl, taking her in with hungry eyes. So she did have a niece. A precious, little girl with large brown eyes and dark brown hair? She frowned? Dark hair? Dark eyes? That didn't make any sense at all? Had they adopted? Narcissa had always had troubles conceiving. But why hadn't she heard of it? Narcissa and Lucius always made sure to post important announcements in the paper- just like the rest of the purebloods.

"I'm scared, Daddy. I don't want anyone to get hit!"

"Come here, Cherub." Severus coaxed. "No one's going to get hurt."

"When the hell did you become a father?"

Andromeda demanded, wondering why her daughter hadn't made mention of it yesterday when she'd brought Remus over for supper.

"Quite a while ago, actually."

Lucius drawled, bending down to scoop up the girl as he made his appearance atop the stairwell- still in pajama's but as regal as always.

Andromeda stared mutely as Lucius descended the stairs, hugging the child tightly as she shivered in evident fear the closer they came to Andromeda. With a start she noticed the doll clutched in her arms- it was Dotty.

Severus really was Lucius's brother after all, wasn't he? Why else would Narcissa be giving her most prized possession away to Severus's child? But while Narcissa had always told her about how Lucius was so sweet to take a boy under his wing, Andromeda had never expected such tutelage to turn into brotherhood. Perhaps she had underestimated Lucius, and perhaps she hadn't given Severus a fair chance, either, before she judged him.

"Here, sweetie. You must've dropped Thomas."

Narcissa smiled at the girl as soon as Lucius had made his way over to his wife, and with a kiss to the girl's cheek she pressed the snake into her little arms. And when the girl smiled brightly at her, Narcissa planted another kiss on her cheek.

"My, my!" Severus drawled brightly, "Did Narcissa pin your hair up?"

"Aren't you just a gorgeous little thing?" Lucius asked, tickling her beneath the chin.

Andromeda smiled at the warmth and vowed to return things to the way they should be before she returned home. She couldn't bear to be away from her sister any longer, not if should could help it. It had been far too long since she'd been without her best friend, and that ended now. She'd fix this, and she'd do that by earning the grace of the girl in Lucius's arms.

So opening the container of biscuits she'd brought along, she held it closer to the doe-eyed girl and smiled widely.

"Hello, Sweetie." She sang. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sure it shocked you."

She nodded, pressing closer into Lucius's chest as she stared nervously at Andromeda.

"I'm Andromeda. I'm once of Narcissa's older sisters." She explained. "I brought some biscuits…I can't cook as well as Narcissa, but I'm told they're still quite good."

Hermione stared at her with a gaze so penetrating, Andromeda was sure Nymphadora would tell her it reminded her of Severus. Clearly the adorable girl took after Daddy, a thought that had her smirking as she thought of the absurdity of Severus actuality being a Daddy.

"I'm Hermione."

She whispered shyly before snaking out an eager hand to remove a double chocolate chip cookie without hesitation. With remarkable speed she devoured the sweet, licking her fingers afterward with a satisfied file on her face.

"Can I have another biscuit, Daddy?"

"After breakfast, Cherub." Severus answered, scooping her into his arms.

"Can we have breakfast now?" She asked, her stomach growling loudly as she mentioned the thought of food.

"I'll get it started, 'Mione." Narcissa smiled, kissing her chin. "Go with Daddy and get dressed."


	43. Chapter 43

Draco scowled heavily as he sauntered downstairs, having been rudely awaken by Hermione jumping up and down on his bed- refusing to leave until he'd sat up and promised to come downstairs to breakfast to meet a 'fun new visitor.'

She had said it with an air of mystery, and despite Draco's pressing, refused to give him a straight answer. So having been out-crafted, to a slight extent, by a four years old Draco found himself awake at the barbarically early hour of seven forty-five.

Still half-asleep he wandered into the dining room and slumped down into his usual chair, yawning obnoxiously loud to showcase his disapproval at the rude awakening. It was when he finally opened his eyes after the yawn that he noticed exactly who the visitor was. Andromeda.

He narrowed his eyes. He had woken up early, and changed out of his pajamas into fancy robes for an aunt that did nothing but torment his mother with her absence? Frowning slightly, he picked up a fork and stabbed at his omelet, wondering if he was still asleep and dreaming.

Why else would everyone seem to be getting along? Talking and chatting like nothing had ever happened to cause a huge familial rift, smiling and laughing loudly as if they'd never had a fight in their lives.

"Severus? What happened to your eye?"

Draco asked, noticing the angry bruising swelling his uncle's left eyes closed in a disgustingly garish manner. And clearly he'd been struck with something magically enchanted, else the wound would've been healed as soon as it had been received.

"Andi punched Daddy!" Hermione explained, pointing at the dark haired woman who'd been gossiping with his mother.

"With her many lovely enchanted rings."

Severus added, sending Andromeda a glare that lacked the proper amount of heat. Why wasn't Severus furious? That didn't seem like something his uncle would forgive very easily, if at all. Draco could still remember getting coldcocked by Hermione last year, and that memory alone had his scowl deepening. How the hell did females learn to punch so well?

"Is anyone going to fill me in on the sudden change of events?" Draco demanded.

"After what can only be described as world war three, your mother and her sister are apparently best friends again." Severus drawled. "Of course, that was after I was so rudely assaulted by said sister."

"I said I was sorry…" Andromeda insisted. "Multiple times."

"I suppose I can forgive you. Given that it's what Hermione wants and seeing as how it was far less painful that anything Bellatrix has done."

"Andi and Nymphadora are coming for Christmas!" Hermione piped up sweetly.

"What?" Draco's jaw dropped. "You two don't talk for years and suddenly your planning to spend Christmas together?!"

"Don't ask Draco," His father sighed, "The ways of women can never be understood."

"So we're just going to leave it at that?" Draco continued.

"Surely you've been spending enough time with Astoria to realize women are complicated mysteries?" Severus asked.

"May that as it may," Draco drawled, using his best Severus impression, "I don't even remotely understand this."

"For Pete's sake, Draco!" Hermione scolded, crossing her arms, "It's simply. 'Cissa and Andi are friends again. You're just being silly!"

"They start early, don't they?" Severus asked Draco's father.

"Indeed they do."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus was holding a slumbering Hermione in his lap as he sat in his favorite recliner at Malfoy manor, humming to her softly as she curled up into him for an afternoon nap. Rearranging the fluffy blue blanket so that it covered his daughter better, he listened mindlessly as Narcissa and Andromeda talked about their plans for the holiday- much more vocal and open now that Lucius and Draco had gone out for a quick fly, thus eliminating the majority of the awkward air.

And as angry as Severus still was at the bruise he'd received from the middle Black child, he'd willingly put it behind him if it made Narcissa happy. But he would not hesitate to attack should the brunette Black hurt his sister-in-law again, in any way, no matter how minor. Narcissa was family, and Severus took great care of his family.

"Are you certain Nymphadora would even be willing to come?" Narcissa asked her sister.

"She might be reluctant at first," Andromeda admitted, "But she's still quite young and very good at minding me. The only thing I have to worry about is weaseling her into a dress."

"I would pay good money to see that." Severus chuckled. "It was hard enough to keep her in her uniform whilst she still attended Hogwarts."

Andromeda laughed loudly. "I seem to recall receiving numerous letters from my Nymphadora telling me that you were the only one able to scare her into even remotely behaving."

"You'll find I have that effect on the majority of people." Severus commented, enjoying the quite conversation now that his initial annoyance toward the situation had subsided.

"You'll also fine he's the sweetest of sweethearts." Narcissa smiled. "Especially when it comes to Draco and his baby girl."

"Call me sweet one more time, Narcissa." Severus warned.

"I'm not afraid of you, Severus." Narcissa laughed. "And neither is Andi."

"Especially not when Hermione's in your arms and you can't attack." Andromeda smirked. "You wouldn't risk waking her up. Not for that."

"Insufferable women," Severus grumbled, "I should have gone off with the men."

"Oh hush."

Andi said primly, in a manner so like Narcissa, Severus obeyed upon instinct. Scowling when he realized such a fact, he rolled his eyes in their general direction and tuned as the sisters began to gossip about Madam Zabini's latest choice of lover and the current fashion trends of the season.

"What am I supposed to get your brat for Christmas?" Severus sighed. "What does she even like?"

"Severus!" Narcissa scolded.

"Oh leave him alone, Narcissa. Nymphadora really is quite the brat."

"That fact withstanding, what should I get her?"

While Severus had been greatly relieved to have finally finished his holiday shopping a few days prior, he knew it was only polite by Slytherin standards to offer at least one gift for each of those guests as they were Narcissa's family- thus making them his. He frowned. He wasn't sure how felt about that. A hufflepuff for a niece seemed like nothing but torture for him. His only relief came from knowing it would make Narcissa happy. And Hermione would more than likely enjoy the antics of the slightly immature young woman once she'd gotten a chance to get comfortable with her.


	44. Chapter 44

The morning before Christmas Eve found the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor drowsy and silent, the majority of them utterly exhausted as the night before had been filled with long hours of dancing and drinking as was the norm for one of the Malfoy's balls.

Severus was ready to drop. Keeping tabs on Hermione during the festivities had proven nearly impossible, and Severus had spent the majority of the night chasing after her the girl had gotten hyped up on vast amounts of sugar and holiday spirit and was unable to keep still for more than a few minutes at most.

And if that hadn't been bad enough, Severus now had to deal with the horrid awkwardness of sharing brunch with Nymphadora and her damnable wolf of a boyfriend. He could stomach the overly cheerful Ted just fine, and he could tolerate the extreme hyperactivity of his daughter. But when it came to suffering what was once one-fourth of the Marauders, Severus was finding the task nearly impossible.

"Why is everyone so quiet, Daddy?"

"Because it's bloody awkward, that's what it is." Draco grumbled into his French toast, evidently hung-over from last night's events.

"Draco, watch your mouth." Narcissa scolded. "There's a child present."

"Yeah, that's a naughty word." Hermione chastised, sticking a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. "It's undignified."

Draco rolled his eyes at his cousin, shoving a large wedge of toast into his mouth before downing copious amounts of bitter black coffee per Lucius's advice.

"Don't you roll your eyes at her." Severus smirked. "It's not her fault you didn't listen to me when I tried to cut you off."

"Why do people drink alcohol when it makes them sick?"

Hermione asked, casting a glance at Lucius who looked very green and nauseous alongside his heir. She even gave a slight frown in Remus's direction, clearly recalling how the werewolf had spent the later part of the night vomiting profusely and loudly enough to keep half the house awake.

Clearly, Severus and Narcissa were the only ones who could handle their alcohol and deal with their hangovers gracefully, not that Severus wasn't immune to such things thanks to his father. But still, he did suffer such things, he was sure he'd be able to handle them with the grace and refinement Narcissa was currently showing.

"Because it makes them feel really good at the time." Severus explained.

"But it also makes them behave in a very silly manner, and that's why there are so many rules about drinking." Narcissa wisely added.

"Then why isn't Daddy looking sick?" Hermione asked. "He drank a lot."

"Your Daddy is something else." Narcissa replied dryly. "Trust me."

"I don't really thinking drinking icky-smelling stuff if worth it if it makes you act like an idiot and gets you sick."

Hermione commented, taking a large sip of orange juice.

"Clever girl."

Lucius praised, his voice still sounding horridly hoarse as he'd spent a great many hours singing Christmas carols as loudly as he could the night prior, getting louder and more off-key the more he drank.

"You've quite the energy," Ted commented brightly, "You remind me of my Nymphadora when she was four. Never ran out of the energy, that girl, even after a long night."

"If I recall correctly," Severus drawled, "Your daughter possessed the same energy while she was in school. Channeling it into breaking any rule she could."

"Oh, yes." Ted laughed. "She was quite the imp. Still is actually."

"Dad," Tonks huffed, "I'm a grown woman."

"Barely." Severus scoffed, nibbling on some bacon.

She narrowed her eyes but remained quit, having been cowed into behaving with a stern lecture from her mother upon her arrival yesterday morning. And Severus left it at that, not adding any more comments, as he had also been cowed into being cordial by both Narcissa and Lucius.

That being said, no one said anything about him having to be nice to Lupin…and it was that little tidbit that kept him from going mad. He wouldn't be able to contain himself should the werewolf earn a biting remark, and he'd go mad without an opportunity to vent his anger should Remus provide him with a fair enough opportunity to do so.

"Is Christmas tomorrow?" Hermione asked again, for the twenty-eight time that week.

"No," Andi explained softly, "There is two more day until Christmas. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the day after is Christmas."

"What are going to do today?" Hermione pestered. "Is there going to be another ball?"

"Hell no." Lucius groaned, pressing a hand to his temple in an effort to relieve the headache his hangover had wrought.

"But I liked dancing and getting fancied up." Hermione explained.

"And you get to do that tomorrow and the next day." Severus soothed. "But without the ball. It'll just be us."

"Just me and you?" Hermione looked alarmed. "I thought-"

"Everyone at the table, Cherub." Severus corrected. "Now finish your brunch."

"Can we go sledding after brunch?"

"Daddy has to finish wrapping up some presents," Severus sighed, "Maybe we can go sledding after that."

"Can I help you wrap presents?"

"No, Hermione. Some of them are for you." Severus explained.

"You can help me and Andi and Tonks bake, instead," Narcissa offered, "We could really use your help."

"We get to bake today!?" Hermione yelled happily, causing several around the able to groan and clutch at their heads.

"We have to bake?" Nymphadora groaned, removing her scowl when her mother leveled her with a sharp look. "I mean yay. We get to bake."


	45. Chapter 45

"That's enough, you two!"

Narcissa scolded, exasperation in her voice as she scolded her two young nieces again for the fifth time as they threw chocolate chips back and forth at each other in an attempt to see who catch the most of them in their mouths.

"But I'm winning, Narcissa!" Tonks protested, shaking caramel morsels from her at-the-moment purple hair.

"Are not!" Hermione countered. "You cheated! You made your mouth bigger!"

"That's not cheating! It's improvising!"

"Na-uh! When a Hufflepuff does it, it's cheating!"

"ENOUGH!"

Narcissa snapped, brandishing a dough-covered spoon in their direction. Immediately they stopped, although Nymphadora did send a tongue in Hermione's direction when she thought Narcissa was not looking. She rolled her eyes at the both of them. It was like having two four year olds in the house- both of them rowdy and full of energy.

"Sit at the table, you two, and frost the biscuits. You obviously can't behave yourselves around the kitchen today."

She leveled them with a sharp look at pointed at the table she'd had Lucius set up in the kitchen so they could use it as a biscuit decorating station. When the messy dough-covered, flour-coated, chocolate smeared girls appeared to be pouting at their dismissal, Narcissa raised a perfectly groomed brow and the quickly hurried to obey.

"Don't give me that look, Narcissa," Andi laughed, "She gets that spunk from Ted, not from me."

"She'd better learn to gain better control of it," Narcissa muttered, "Or her bottom will soon come into contact with a wooden spoon."

"Will not…" Nymphadora muttered, dusting a biscuit with a rainbow of sprinkles.

"Stop it, Dora!" Hermione squeaked. "You don't want to test 'Cissa!"

"She's right, Nymphadora." Andromeda warned. "So shush."

For a moment Narcissa thought her niece might argue, but soon found the girl became distracted when Hermione requested her help in opening up a jar of edible glitter. When Narcissa was satisfied both girl were suitably occupied, and not in any danger of committing mischief, she turned back to her older sister and began to help her with the making of fudge.

"Nymphadora, you've got frosting on your nose!" Hermione giggled, pointing at a smear of blue icing decorating Tonks's nose.

"Yeah?" Nymphadora grinned. "So do you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, all over your face actually."

"Wha-Hey!"

Narcissa turned around in tandem with her sister just in time to see the chaos as it unfolded. Without hesitation Nymphadora grabbed a bag of pink icing and smeared a swirl of said sticky goo unto Hermione's forehead. Hermione, giggling, retaliated by throwing a fistful of green sparkles straight into her older cousins eyes. Tonks then gasped and grabbed hold of Hermione, tipping her upside down so that she hung over a large bowl chocolate sauce. Unfortunately the pink ribbon in Hermione's hair chose to fall out at that exact moment, sending the waves of golden-brown hair cascading into the chocolate. Hermione, the little imp, then grabbed hold of said bowl and plopped in down over Nymphadora's/Tonks's head. Startled, Nymphadora dropped her- thankfully atop the table and not the floor, but unfortunately atop many of the gingerbread men and spritz biscuits that Narcissa and Andromeda had spent many hours making.

"Hermione Narcissa Snape!"

"Nymphadora Narcissa Tonks!"

Narcissa and Andromeda issued their scolds at the same time, halting both Hermione and Nymphadora in their tracks. Which was very fortunate as Hermione had been prepared to assault Tonks with a rubber spatula full of vanilla frosting and Nymphadora had been ready to retaliate with a whisk full of homemade whipped cream. At the mentioning of both their full names, each girl stopped, placing a look of innocence on their faces with impressive speed.

"Yes?" The asked in unison, trying their hardest to radiate sweetness despite the glare both Black woman were sending them.

"What on earth were you thinking?!" Andromeda chastised. "You little imps!"

"Just look at this kitchen!" Narcissa added. "It's a complete mess!"

"And look at the both of you!" Andi scolded. "You're in even worse shape than the kitchen!"

That's not how dignified ladies behave, is it?" Narcissa drilled, placing a hand on her hip as she brandished another wooden spoon in their direction.

"We were only-"Hermione began.

"Is it?" Narcissa repeated sternly.

"No." Hermione sighed. "Sorry, 'Cissa. Sorry Andi."

"Silly girl." Narcissa sighed, heartlessly. "Go and tell you Daddy to give you a bath."

"But Daddy's going to be cross!" Hermione gasped.

"Your Daddy's going to go a lot easier on you than I would." Narcissa smiled. "Now go."

"How come Nymphadora isn't in any trouble?" She demanded, already heading out of the kitchen to find her father.

"She's going to be scrubbing the kitchen clean," Andi promised, "So if I were, I'd go and get your bath before we make you stay and help."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus smirked evilly as he looked at the cards in his hand and a collective groaned sounded out around the small table Lucius had set up in the living room when it was suggested, by Ted, that a game of poker might do wonders to break the tension in the room.

"Straight flush, Gentlemen." Severus drawled, throwing the cards down upon the table.

"Damn." Draco muttered darkly. "I've only got a full house."

"Two pair." Lucius growled, shaking his head. "Why do I still play with you when I know you can read faces so well?"

"Perhaps you're a sucker for punishment?"

Ted suggested kindly, taking a long drag from one of the expensive cigars Lucius had passed around to every male seated at the table at the beginning of the game. Even Draco had been allowed to partake, under the strict premise that he destroy the evidence immediately should Narcissa come into the room unannounced.

"Perhaps." Lucius agreed politely, ashing his cigar in one of his ridiculously expensive ashtrays.

"Well, this is the fifth round I've lost to Severus." Ted laughed. "Perhaps I've got the same problem." He finished, throwing his own full house down.

"One pair," Remus groaned, throwing his horrid hand of cards down, "Tonks is going to kill me when she finds out how much money I've lost."

"Just get her some cupcakes," Ted advised, "She's likely to be a lot less violent if you do."

"That's reassuring." Remus lamented, massaging his temples.

"Anyone care for another round?" Severus questioned, gathering up the fat lot of 50 galleons he'd just earned.

"I'm out." Remus said quickly, holding his hands up in surrender. "I can't afford to lose another round."

"Ah, what the hell?" Ted asked. "I'm in."

"Draco and I are as well." Lucius agreed, gathering the cards up to shuffle them.

"Excellent." Severus smirked. "I find great pleasure in relieving people of their gold."

"You've certainly got a knack for it." Ted chuckled, still jovial despite the fact he'd lost a considerable amount of money in the space of a few hours.


	46. Chapter 46

Draco had been shuffling the deck of cards to prepare for another round of poker when Hermione ran into the kitchen, frosting and sparkles staining her skin and clothes even as they dripped from her and fell to the carpet below.

"Hermione!" Severus scolded. "Why are you such a mess?"

"Nymphadora and I got into a frosting war," She replied sheepishly, "So 'Cissa sent me away to get a bath."

"Fantastic."

Severus said dryly, rushing over to his daughter and lifting her up into his arms before she could stain the pristine carpet. Holding her away from his body, he marched away from the living room with the sound of hearty laughter following after him.

"Cherub, you're a big girl." Severus sighed. "Why'd you have to go and turn yourself into a walking cupcake?"

"Nymphadora started it! And she's even bigger than me."

Hermione defended herself, looking angelic even as Severus carried her throughout the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. Severus shook his head, trying to force himself into punishing girl but finding he was unable to do so. She was simply far too adorable, and Severus found he was hard-pressed not to grin at the sight of his daughter covered in such a sparkling mess. He'd gone soft, he really had. At the glittery little unicorn in his arms was the reason for it.

"Sometimes adults aren't very mature, Hermione," Severus explained, "But you mustn't stoop to their levels. You've got to be dignified, even when they aren't."

"Okay, Daddy." She nodded. "I won't do it again."

"Good girl." Severus praised, kissing her nose as that was the sole area not covered in a sticky mess.

Carrying the girl into her bedroom and in through the door that led to her connected bathroom, Severus placed her on the tile floor and instructed her not to touch anything less the sparkles and frosting stain any of the porcelain within the room. Turning on the taps to fill the large, claw-foot tub, Severus poured in generous amounts of bubble bath and told Hermione to undress as they waited for the tub to fill.

"Can I wear my white dress?" Hermione begged, peering into the tub as she stood on a stepstool.

"With the mischief you've gotten into today, you're not wearing white."

"Pink?"

"Dark pink." Severus relented, lifting her into the bubbly tub.

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Severus had just finished brushing Hermione's wet hair into submission when a soft knock sounded on Hermione's bedroom door. Thinking the familiar pattern of the rapping signaled Narcissa's presence, he called out.

"Come in." He drawled, slipping a headband atop Hermione's smooth hair.

"Severus? Can we talk?"

Severus startled when he heard Andromeda's voice instead of Narcissa's and cursed just how twin-like the Black sisters could be at the most inconvenient moments. Scowling, he refused to turn around, opting instead to fiddle with the sash of Hermione's dress despite it already being perfectly centered and straight.

"I suppose." He replied, making it clear how reluctant he was to do so.

"Thanks." He could hear the smile in her voice. "Hermione, why don't you go and find Narcissa? I think she'd like some help getting lunch ready."

Severus bit his tongue as his young daughter ran off, ever eager to help her out her aunt when it came to food preparation. He did not want to be alone with Andromeda Tonks, not when she was the reason for much of Narcissa's heartaches. And not when Severus was sure Andromeda would be the reason that Narcissa forgot about him. He didn't want to lose his best friend, but it was unavoidable. Who wouldn't chose their own sister over a brother-in-law? As petty as it sounded, it was the truth. Severus was insecure, and he had every right to be. Andromeda was sure to steal Narcissa away from him- and that only meant Lucius would follow, because he loved his wife and would chose her over Severus.

Andromeda seemed to notice his anger, as she frowned slightly, but that didn't stop her from taking a seat atop the emerald blankets of Hermione's guest bed. With an encouraging smile, she patted the spot next to her, and Severus reluctantly took a seat as far away from her as he could.

"I can't help but think we got off on the wrong foot…"

"You gave me a black eye." Severus growled, sending an one-eyed glare her way.

"And I apologized for that, multiple times." She said softly.

"What do you want, Andromeda?"

"I wanted to talk to you." She repeated. "To find out why we can't seem to get along."

"You just abandoned Narcissa, and then you came back and everything's fine? Like nothing happened?" Severus ranted.

"Severus, Narcissa and I still a have a lot of things to work out. And so do we." She added. "I'd like to know why you seem so angry at me."

"I already told you." Severus growled.

"Severus, I understand that that's part of the reason you're upset with me. But I think there's something else as well."

"Oh, really?" Severus sneered. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"I think you're afraid. Afraid that I'm going to steal your family from you." Andromeda put a hand on his shoulder and he shrugged it off. "And I want you to know that that isn't what I'm planning to do. I want to be a part of your family. I don't want to take it away."

Severus's gut twisted up in shame. Andromeda's face betrayed no lies- she meant everything she said. Which meant that Severus had behaved like a petulant brat for nothing.

"Besides, Severus. I don't think I could Narcissa and Lucius could ever forget about you. They adore you."

"I'm sorry." Severus muttered, feeling like a total ass.

"Don't be." Andromeda smiled. "I understand."

Severus looked up when he heard her shifting on the mattress, and he furrowed his brow when he saw her with her arms held open.

"Come on, now. Get in here." She coaxed.


	47. Chapter 47

Christmas came early that year, and by that, Severus meant Hermione woke up the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor at exactly 4:47 in the morning. And not only that, she had kept up her begging and pleaded until she had managed to wrangle everyone down into the living room by 5:17.

"Santa had better have been good to me this year if I had to wake up this early for Christmas."

Draco grumbled, slumping down unto the sofa besides Narcissa and a still half-asleep Nymphadora. In fact, the only people that seemed to have any energy at all were Hermione and Ted, the both of them practically vibrating with excitement.

"I need coffee." Lucius groaned, eyes closed and head dropped.

"I'm way ahead of you."

Andromeda sympathized, summoning in a tray of coffee cups along with a pot of steaming, black coffee. With a smirk, Severus noticed Lucius looking at the woman with reverence, as if she had just saved Draco from a fire.

"I brought the muggle coffee maker," Ted smiled, "And set the timer so it would be ready for us. I had a hunch Hermione would wake us early…just like Nymphadora always used to do."

Lucius sat upright. "Wait? Do you mean to tell me muggles possess coffee making machines that can brew coffee without the aid of any magic?"

"Lucius, I've told you this before." Severus sighed, holding Hermione firmly in his lap to keep her from diving into the large pile of presents.

"I thought you were joking!" Lucius retorted. "It certainly wouldn't be the first time."

"Well I wasn't." Severus grinned. "And I think I can safely say you're going to love what Santa brought you for Christmas.

"Daddy! Can we open presents now?!" Hermione whined, bouncing up and down in his lap.

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Severus smiled widely at the scene in front of him, infected with the Christmas spirit just as much as everyone else was. For the first time in years, Severus truly felt alive and hopelessly happy. He felt whole. And he'd never imagine he'd be allowed to feel such things, not when he had committed such horrid atrocities in his past. And while he had repented, he had never expected his path of redemption to involve any happiness. He hadn't though he deserved such things.

He couldn't have possibly asked for anything more than the feeling of belonging, acceptance, and family. And yet, he had received much more that day on top of it. Curtesy of 'Santa' and the rest of the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor, Severus was now the proud new owner of many nice things.

From Narcissa he'd received a wonderfully war set of black, designer robes, a pair of dragonhide boots, a new cauldron, and a thick black leather journal- the kind he used to jot down potions notes. From Lucius he had received many rare and expensive potions ingredients (the majority of them illegal), two very rare and expensive books, a 50 galleon gift card to Honeydukes, and a dozen of his favorite, costly quills. From Draco he had received a set of fancy, crystal flasks, and an emerald studded wand case. From Andromeda and Ted he'd been gifted an obnoxiously large, and lovely, basket filled to the brim with all his favorite muggle candy. And from Remus and Tonks he'd received a book about muggle contributions to the field of potions. But best of all was the present he had received from his daughter; a small black and navy patch-quilt she had made all on her own with limited help from Narcissa. He had almost teared up at the sight, and Hermione had been subjected to numerous kisses to the top of her head as a result.

As for Hermione, Santa had been even more generous. The girl had latterly been forced to wade through a pile of her own presents to get to them all, and Severus had grinned along with her as she ripped of wrapping paper upon wrapping paper from the parcels. Among the many gifts she had been blessed with were hundreds of hair pins, dozens of dresses, three knew designer purses (curtesy of Narcissa), her own small kit of 'make-up', a set of non-breakable flasks to use when she made potions with Severus, several books, a small bottle of sweet smelling perfume, a music box, and a jewelry box- with plenty of jewelry that could be added to it.

"Thanks for the wine, Severus." Remus said, brandishing the bottle in Severus's direction.

"Thank you for the book."

Severus replied, unable to hold onto his grudge when the day was going so perfectly. And, if he were to be perfectly honest, he was gradually coming to tolerate Lupin and his girlfriend. Especially now that he knew the wolf enjoyed literature almost as much as he did.

"Look, Daddy! Crookshanks loves his presents, too!"

Severus looked and chuckled alongside the rest of the room; the cat was utterly zoned out, lying on his back with his eyes the size of dinner plates as he stared up at the chandelier in a catnip induced haze.

"Reminds me the parties Severus used to throw…" Narcissa smirked, kissing her husband on the cheek.

"Only this time it's Crookshanks who's having a trip, instead of Regulus." Lucius laughed.

"Daddy, what're they talking about?"

"Yes, Severus," Tonks grinned, "Do tell."

"Now, now, Nymphadora," Remus teased, "You're well-behaved potion's master would never partake in such herbal usage, would he?"

"It was the early eighties." Severus explained. "And that's all I have to say about that."

"Because that's all you can remember, or because you don't want to ruin your reputation as the feared potions master of Hogwarts?" Remus asked.

"It's a little of both, actually."

"Daddy, what're you talking about?!" Hermione demanded.

"Well, my dear," Ted grinned, "All you need know is that the seventies and eighties were some pretty interesting times. And people behaved very silly-like."

"Even Daddy?"

"Oh yes," Lucius laughed, "He had his moments too."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lucius." Severus grinned, stuffing his face full of twizzlers.

"Of course you don't." Tonks agreed with a smirk. "That's the Slytherin way, isn't it?"

"Damn straight," Severus nodded, "Your aunt's going to have to educate you of our ways."

"On no!" Andromeda warned. "If you turn this one into a Slytherin, she'll end up taking over the entire world."

"Yes, let's keep her a hufflepuff. For the good of mankind." Remus added, kissing Tonks on the cheek.

"I don't care what the hell she is, as long as she stays away from Hogwarts." Severus teased. "I was lucky enough to survive the first time she attended."


	48. Chapter 48

Hermione was carefully stroking Crookshanks fur as Severus read to her from Little Red Riding Hood. He read very slowly, not wanting the story to end. Because once it had, he'd have to force himself into giving Hermione the potion that would reage her through the night.

He swallowed hard. This day had come much too quickly. It seemed like it had only been a few weeks since she'd become his daughter, not the long months it had actually been. Soon his little girl would not be so little anymore. Instead she'd be a full-fledged teenager, a young lady who might not even like him, nor love him. A girl who might not want anything to do with him. And the thought of that killed him. She was his baby, after all.

But he had to do it. It wouldn't be fair to her to keep her this young forever. Not when she needed to be returned to rightful age, and allowed to live the life she had been before she'd had the accident. She needed to be returned to 14, it wouldn't be healthy not to reage her. And Severus couldn't keep her from the life she needed to be returned to. It would be selfish of him.

His only comfort came from the knowledge that she'd retain all of her memories of this experience. And maybe that would be enough to make see that Severus really did love her, no matter what age she was. And maybe, just maybe, she'd want Severus to keep being her father. Or at the very least allow him to have a part in her life, no matter how small.

But all too soon the story had ended, and Severus was placing the book back on the bedside table as he cuddled Hermione closer to him. Smoothing her golden/brown hair down with a gentle stroke, he planted a kiss atop the crown of her head and fought back tears.

"Hermione," Severus said, "Cherub?"

"Hmm?" Hermione asked, half-asleep and clutching Dotty and Thomas closely.

"I need you to take a potion before you go to sleep." He forced the words out, willing himself not to change his mind.

"Why? I don't feel sick." Hermione yawned, snuggling closer to him.

"I know." Severus soothed. "But I want you to drink anyways."

"Okay, Daddy." She nodded, obedient as always.

"Okay, open up." Severus coaxed, holding a vial of purple potion up to her lips.

Hermione obeyed, guzzling down the concoction without hesitation. The only complaint she made being that of a funny face once she had finished drinking down the not-so-sweet potion. Wiping the back of her hand with her pajama sleeve, she pressed closer to him and Severus helped her to take a drink of water before he began to hum to her softly.

It was only after he was absolutely positive she was asleep that he left the room. As much as he'd have loved to stay to be there for her when she awoke, Severus worried the girl would lash out in understandable fear to see her professor in the same bed as her. He did, however, set up multiple wards so that he'd be made aware if the girl wanted him or needed him.

Crawling into his own bed, he curled up into a ball, insecurities eating him alive. It just a single night, Severus could lose the very thing he held dearest. And that thought terrified him. He had already lost Regulus and Lily, but this? This would hurt much worse. This was his child. The very center of his world. The girl that had given him a reason for living again.

He startled when Lucius walked into his room without knocking, holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate in his right hand. With a small smile Lucius closed the door behind him and padded over Severus's bed, crawling in beneath the covers and pulling Severus close.

"I thought you could use your brother tonight." Lucius explained, pressing the cup into Severus's hands. "Come now, drink up. Narcissa made it just the way you like."

Severus obeyed, much like Hermione had done minutes ago, and drank down the sweet, liquid without any fuss. And even before he could feel his eyes drooping on their accord, Severus knew it had been spiked with a touch of calming draught along with a generous portion of sleep potion.

Once he had finished his drink Lucius removed the cup from his slackening grip and placed in on the bedside table. Making himself comfortable enough to fall asleep, Lucius pulled Severus closer and Severus responded by resting his head on Lucius's chest to sleep- much like Hermione had so often done to him.

"It'll be fine, Severus." Lucius soothed, rubbing his back. "She loves you very dearly now, and she'll still love you very dearly when she's fourteen."

"What if she doesn't?" Severus whispered, fear in his voice.

"She will." Lucius replied. "I know so. You're her entire world, and that will never go away. Trust me."

"You think so?" Severus asked cautiously.

"I know so." Lucius repeated. "Now get some rest. You're going to need it."

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It was three in the morning when the door to Severus's room was, once again, opened without his permission. But like before, Severus did not mind the intrusion. Especially not when the visitor was his distraught daughter. Without hesitation he untangled himself from Lucius and sat upright, holding his arms open to invite her into a hug. Without hesitation she ran into his arms, going limp as he pulled her up into his lap and squeezed her tightly.

"Shh." He hushed, relieved she had come to him for comfort. "You're alright."

"Don't leave me." She whispered, clinging to him tightly. "Please."

"I'll never leave you. Ever." Severus promised, rubbing her back.

"You still want me?" She sobbed, disbelief in her voice.

"You still want me?" Severus retorted, a slight laugh or relief in his voice.

"Obviously!"

She sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of the oversized nightgown Severus had forced her into before he had put her to bed. Shushing her slightly, Severus attempted to smooth down her hair to avail. It was back to its unmanageable state, and Severus turned his attention to slightly rocking her.

"I don't feel good, Daddy." She whined, clutching her stomach.

"That's because of the potion," Severus explained, "The pain should be gone by morning."

"It hurts." She complained, sniffling loudly.

"I know," Severus soothed, "You'll have to sleep it off."

She groaned and went limp, her breathing already evening out despite her complaints. Severus smirked, continuing to hum softly to her until she had cried herself out and lay conked out in his arms.

He could scarcely believe his luck. His daughter still wanted him. Smiling like a fool, he rose from the bed with her still in his arms and carried her into her own bedroom. Settling her beneath the warm blankets, he crawled in after her and held her tightly- not wanting her to wake up frightened should she think he left her alone.


	49. Chapter 49

Severus awoke a few hours later to find Hermione still asleep, her head resting on his chest as she drooled and snored lightly in a peaceful slumber. Unwilling to rouse her from the much needed sleep, he occupied himself by counting his blessing. A year ago he would've cursed anyone for being demented had they told him he'd have a daughter in his care. And not only that but a Gryffindor child to boot.

It was 10:14 before she even began to rouse from her dreams, and it was another half hour before she even opened her eyes. Yawning loudly, she rubbed at her eyes with a fist, causing Severus to marvel at the fact that her fingers were no longer tiny, but long and delicate. This would certainly take some getting used to.

"What's for breakfast?" She questioned, sitting up and relinquishing her grip on Dotty and Thomas.

"It's a bit late for breakfast, Cherub." Severus chuckled. "How about a snack before lunch instead?"

"Biscuits?"

"Anything for you, Hermione." Severus drawled, tousling her hair.

"Anything?" She asked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes that could rival any Slytherins.

"Don't get any ideas, you little imp." Severus warned.

"Or what?" She taunted, raising a brow in his direction.

Severus raised a hand. "Do you need a little reminder?" He teased.

"No!" She insisted, grinning as she scurried off the bed.

"Good girl." Severus praised. "Now get dressed, I'll meet you downstairs."

"Nothing's going to fit me!"

"Do you really think I hadn't thought of that?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hermione waited until he had closed the door behind him before she walked over to the large closet and threw it open. And even though her father had told her he'd taken care of the clothing issue, she had almost expected to see the rainbow of frilly, lacy dresses she had lived in when she was four. And while there was still the dozens of dresses she had received for Christmas still hanging from the bar in the closet, there was nothing left to remind her of her time as her father's little girl. And that thought actually made her a bit sad. What if her father changed his mind and decided he really didn't want any more now that she wasn't little and cute?

Pushing the dark thoughts away, like the fourteen year old she was, she spent the next half hour trying to run her comb through the mess she called her hair. Frizzy and puffed out into a mockery of an afro, Hermione frowned at her dark hair- wondering if Narcissa would ever be able to get it smooth and gorgeous again. She missed being able to be proud of her hair.

Finally giving up on her hair, she let it be, figuring she was only making it worse the more she yanked at it. At least she could have fun with picking out her clothes, however, as apparently Narcissa had made certain the closet was stuffed with a myriad of designer dress robes. There was even a very nice selection of upscale muggle clothes, and Hermione had to wonder if her had played some sort of role in that.

Grabbing a black blouse and an emerald skirt, she made certain that at least her clothes were perfect- wrinkle free and without stains. Heading to the vanity in the room, she sat in front of it, trying to recall all the makeup application tips Narcissa had given her when she was four. When she was confident she'd remembered it all, she grabbed up a tube of lip gloss.

It took an hour before she was satisfied with her work, and Hermione decided that Narcissa's advice of mascara being a girl's best friend really was the truth. Her eyes looked even larger than usual, and Hermione vowed to start doing her makeup every day, just like Lavender and Parvatti told her she should.

She finished her look by placing the silver necklace with an emerald bauble around her neck, figuring that now she was fourteen and more mature, the rules against her wearing the delicate jewelry she had received as gifts no longer applied. Sticking a pair of emerald studs into her ears, she finally headed downstairs in pursuit of her snack and father.

"What the hell took you so long?" Daddy teased. "Did you fall asleep again?"

"Leave her be, Severus." Narcissa scolded. "She's fourteen, now. Getting ready takes longer."

Hermione grinned as Narcissa pulled her into a side-hug.

"You look marvelous by the way." Her aunt praised, kissing her on the cheek. "But go easy on the rouge next time, you don't want to look like a whore."

"I thought it looked like too much." Hermione mused, holding a hand up to her cheek.

"We can fix it after you've had your snack." Narcissa soothed. "We're going shopping after lunch, by the way."

"More shopping? You just bought me a whole wardrobe for Christmas."

"A wardrobe that doesn't fit you anymore." Narcissa corrected. "And while we can enlarge it all, I doubt you'll want to be prancing around in children's clothes."

"But I have a ton of clothes upstairs- you must have already went shopping for me." Hermione protested, gesturing at her outfit.

"Those are nothing my hand-me-downs," Narcissa answered dismissively, "Surely you want some nice, new clothes."

"But I just had Christmas yesterday."

"When you were four. This will be your fourteen year old Christmas."

"I don't think it works that way, Narcissa." Hermione laughed.

"You're a Slytherin now," Daddy drawled, "Things work any way you want them to, now."

"Daddy, tell her I don't need any more clothes." Hermione pleaded, nibbling on a gingerbread man.

"I've already tried, believe me." He assured. "But there's just no arguing with this woman."

"So enough arguing," Narcissa scolded, "And finish your snack. You can help me make lunch."

"After we're done shopping can you help me fix my hair?" Hermione pleaded, touching said mess.

"Believe me, dear. I'm not going to let you run around with that rat's nest atop your head. We'll throw it into a plait for now, and after we're done shopping we'll set to taming it."

"Honestly, 'Cissa." Daddy drawled. "You're going to spoil her."

"She's been spoiled since the moment she became your little girl, Severus." Narcissa answered.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." He smirked.

"I'm not your little girl anymore?" Hermione asked, frowning heavily.

"What? Of course you still are!" Daddy." insisted, hugging her tightly. "I was simply being sarcastic, Cherub. You should know better by now


	50. Chapter 50

The next few days went by quickly, and all too soon it was time to return to the castle as school would resume in just two short days. It had been a very emotional and teary few days for Hermione, as she fought to regain control of her mind and body and Severus was the very soul of patience when it came to soothing her and preparing her to restart school.

It had taken an hour long goodbye, filled with strong emotional outbursts from Hermione, before Severus was finally able to floo back into his rooms with Draco and Hermione in tow- Hermione on his hip as he had been unable to coax her away from Narcissa by any other means. It was times like those that Severus wished she was still four- easily carried and subdued without much effort needed for the most part.

"I think I liked her better when she was four." Draco grouched, rubbing at the black eye he'd received when he tried to help Severus with Hermione.

"Quiet you."

Severus scolded, shifting the now passed-out Hermione in his lap so that she rested more comfortably in his arms. Having tantrumed for the better part of an hour, Severus was immensely relieved she'd passed out from her exhaustion.

"Are you sure she's ready for school on Monday?" Draco asked, scratching Crookshanks behind the ears as he sat on the sofa.

"We'll have to see, Draco." Severus sighed, leaning back in his recliner. "We still have all day today and tomorrow to get her settled."

"Well she better get settled soon," Draco muttered, "Because if she smacks me again, I'm retaliating."

"Fair enough." Severus agreed, flicking his wand to fix his nephew's eye.

Not that he wanted his daughter to be assaulted, but if Hermione had learned how to dish out Slytherin style assaults, she certainly needed to learn how to take it. But so help them if anyone but Draco doled it out. Sibling/cousin rivalry was one thing, messing with his daughter in any degree was quite another, a crime that would be dealt with most severely.

"Can we run to Hogsmeade after her nap?" Draco begged. "A little walk might be good for her."

Severus smirked. "So now you care about her? When doing so works wonders for your agenda?"

"My only agenda is to see her happy." Draco answered, mockingly prim. "And if it just so happens I get a little joy from doing so…well, that's just gravy."

"Proper little snake, aren't you?" Severus complimented.

"Second only to you, Severus." Draco agreed, jerking his chin at Hermione. "She's on the road to becoming a proper Slytherin, too."

"She's certainly getting there." Severus agreed. "The Gryffindors are in for quite the surprise."

"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces." Draco grinned evilly. "Especially Weasley and Potter."

"Potter's actually coming by tomorrow." Severus explained. "Along with Weasley."

"You don't sound too thrilled." Draco noticed.

"I've come to tolerate Potter," Severus admitted, "But I find myself rather reluctant to allow my daughter to be in the company of the Weasley boy. They fancy each other, and Weasley's are rather adept at creating babies."

"All valid points," Draco nodded, "But that being said I don't think Hermione would give up her virtue so easily. Not after everything her parents have done. And not after you've had her for so long. And I highly doubt Weasley would be stupid enough to do anything but hold her hand."

Severus scowled as Draco mentioned Hermione's past, and clutched his daughter closer. Nothing would ever hurt her like that again. Nothing. And if he had too beat the boys away with thick bats, so be it. He'd utilize every ounce of his death-eater training if he had to. Hermione was his Cherub, and she'd never be hurt again.

"Be that as it may, Draco, I'll expect you and the rest of my snakes to keep an eye on her when I can't."

"A ship is safe in the harbor, Severus. But that's not what it's for."

"My daughter is not an inanimate object to be used for other's pleasure." Severus growled softly.

"I only meant that you can't keep her locked up." Draco explained. "After all, you can't cage an animal. Lion or snake."

Severus sighed. This was impossible. How was he supposed to let her go and be teenager when he hadn't had enough time to prepare? Most parents had years to ready themselves for the trials of raising a teenager, Severus hadn't even had a year.

"You're right, Draco." Severus nodded. "But you must still keep an eye out for her."

"Obviously." Draco agreed. "I can't have my cousin bringing shame unto our family."

"Just keep in mind that she'll be keeping an eye on you too."

"I'm not too worried about that. She's still not up to par with my sneaking skills, and if she can't find me, she can't discover what I'm doing."

"Just give it a few weeks, Draco. She'll be sneaking right alongside you." Severus warned. "Just be sure you can an eye on her when Theo joins. I have no idea if she still has her little crush on him."

"Wouldn't you want me to set the two up?" Draco questioned. "Because if it were me I'd rather have Theodore for a son-in-law, not a Weasley."

"She's fourteen, Draco. Stop trying to marry her off." Severus ordered.

"Fourteen is a common age for a courtship to begin." Draco argued. "And I'd rather see her in a courtship with Theo rather than a relationship with Weasley."

Severus frowned heavily. He would have to start setting up potential courtships for Hermione. In reality, he'd have started when she was born and narrowed down the choices the only she got, but obviously that hadn't been an option. Not that she'd be forced into any of them, not all, he simply wanted her to have the options to choose from when she felt she was ready to spend alone time with boys. And Theo certainly would be a good match, what with him being as studious as Hermione. The only problem that presented itself was Hermione's blood, and Theo's prejudiced parents. That being said, Severus wouldn't keep the boy away from his daughter should he decide he liked her- even if his parents demand he do so.

"Just keep an eye on her." Severus repeated. "And make sure a certain Weasley doesn't get hold of her and turn her into a broodmare.

"I'd hate to be the man who has to ask you for her hand in marriage." Draco joked. "You're going to make him shit himself."

"Contrary to popular belief, Draco, I've not made any defecate upon my arrival in a very long time."

"Wait? So you actually have made someone-"

"It was ten years ago, Draco. And I snuck up on them in the middle night." Severus explained. "It was a rather unpleasant experience for us both, actually."

"I would've paid good money to see that."

"The deputy headmistress wasn't too amused." Severus chuckled. "She would've hexed the life out of me had Dumbledore not stopped her."

"Speaking of Dumbledore…has he noticed anything odd about Horcrux's disappearing…of you-know-who being weakened?"

"He has." Severus shared. "But he doesn't know who could be doing such things."

"He doesn't suspect you?"

"Not at all. And at this rate, the war will be one before the end of the year."

"Can you wait until the very end? So we can miss the end of year exams?"

"Glad to see you've got your priorities straight, Draco."


	51. Chapter 51

"Where're we going first?" Hermione pestered, pulling on the sleeve of his winter cloak.

"To Knockturn Alley." Severus drawled.

"Anywhere in particular?" She continued, seemingly eager to engage in some very Slytherin behavior.

"Draco and I would like to stop at Borgin and Burkes." Severus explained, pulling her closer as they stepped into the rougher part of Hogsmeade. "And I want you to promise me that you won't touch anything unless you know for sure what it is."

He stopped, waiting until she looked straight into his eyes. He needed her to know just how serious he was about this as the majority of things within Knockturn Alley could seriously maim or kill those who weren't careful.

"I promise, Dad." She insisted, looking him straight in the eye.

"Good." Severus sighed. "Because I won't hesitate to put you over my knee in the middle of the store should you chose to act foolishly."

"You wouldn't!" She gasped, thoroughly scandalized at the idea.

"I most certainly would." Severus warned. "So keep that in mind should a touch of Gryffindor foolishness settle in."

"Draco, he really wouldn't. Would he?"

Draco nodded sullenly. "He would. I learned that the hard way when I was seven. And any spanking he's given since has failed in comparison to that one. So seriously, don't touch anything if you don't know what it is."

"I think I'll just keep my hands in my pockets." Hermione muttered.

"Don't." Severus scolded. "If you do that in Knockturn Alley they'll think you've stolen something."

"Just keep your hands at your side." Draco advised. "You'll be fine."

"But what if they figure out I'm a Gryffindor."

She whispered the last part, and Severus smiled at her sense of self-preservation. Perhaps the girl had been sorted wrong, all along. Because several months alone couldn't account for all this change, could it?

"Relax, Cherub." Severus calmed. "You don't even dress like a Gryffindor anymore."

"Besides," Draco added, "You're not really a complete Gryffindor anymore. You're more Slytherin than anything."

"And no one is going to harass you," Severus continued, "Not when they know I'm your father."

"So it's just that easy?" Hermione demanded. "You adopt me and suddenly everyone is okay with me?"

"It's not that simple," Severus drawled, "But, essentially, yes."

"I don't think things would go so nicely for a Slytherin if they were adopted by a Gryffindor."

"That's because Gryffindor's don't have as strong a sense of honor." Severus clarified, opening the door to Borgin and Burkes and gesturing the teens in.

"Severus!" Borgin wheezed, smiling in his direction with his nearly toothless grin.

"And young Mr. Malfoy."

Burke added, rubbing his hands together as he eyed the Malfoy heir with perverse glee- seeing as the boy was the son of his best (and most wealthy) customer and nephew to another fairly loyal customer.

"Boring, Burke." Severus acknowledged them, nodding in their direction.

"And what do we owe such an early visit to?" Burke questioned.

"Usually the snakes don't come out to play until the sun's gone down." Borgin added.

"Well, our newest snake needed a breath of fresh air." Severus explained, pushing Hermione forward a bit so that the shopkeepers could get a good look.

"Ah yes, we've heard about little addition." Borgin nodded, smiling at Hermione. "Although she's not so little anymore, is she?"

"Don't be shy, child," Burke insisted, "Introduce yourselves."

"Go on." Severus coaxed, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "They don't bite."

She leaned into him, but still smiled, looking immensely shy but willing to behave in the proper Slytherin way she'd been taught.

"I'm Hermione. Hello." She said softly, curtseying slightly before sticking out a hand.

"You've molded her into a proper Slytherin." Borgin praised, shaking her hand.

"You can hardly see the Gryffindor gleam in her eyes." Burke added, shaking her hand.

"Yes, she's quite the snake." Severus agreed. "But let us get to down to business."

"Ah, yes. Always in such a hurry, aren't you?" Borgin asked. "What is it you need this time?"

"I require a few ingredients." Severus drawled. "And I've got quite the number of potions to sell."

"And am I correct to assume that these are the types of potions you can't sell just anywhere?" Burke questioned.

"Indeed, they are not." Severus agreed, pulling a satchel full of said potions from his pocket.

"Dad, can I look around with Draco?"

Hermione requested, pointing toward where Draco had wandered off. Severus looked in the direction to which she pointed, noticing that the blonde boy was currently enraptured by a series of old, crumbling books. Severus nodded, and gave her a little push in that direction.

"Go ahead. But stay with Draco." Severus warned. "We wouldn't want your inner Gryffindor to tempt you into touching what you shouldn't"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco had been reading the tattered spines of a few ancient books when he felt Hermione walking over to him, and he turned to give her a friendly smile. It was certainly quite odd to be spending time with her now that she was back to normal, and he sort of missed her being little, but he had promised Severus he'd try and get along with the girl as much as he had when she was four.

"What subject are those books on, Draco?" She asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Occlumency and Legilimency." Draco answered, moving to the side so that she could see.

"Why are books like that in a dark arts store?" she pondered, shaking her head slightly.

"Occlumency and Legilimency aren't exactly skills that are thought highly of." Draco explained.

"Unless, of course, the Light needs them." Hermione muttered. "I bet they suddenly turn into something good when the aurors need them."

"How quickly you've learned." Draco praised. "The prejudice doesn't feel so good when it's on the other foot, does it?"

She frowned heavily. "No. Not really." She agreed. "Something's got to be done about that."

"It's been that way for centuries, Hermione. And it's not going to change anytime soon." Draco scoffed. "So I'd suggest you get used to it."

"After the war tons of things will change," She whispered, "Why wouldn't this be one of them?"

"Things like this never change." Draco argued. "People need a scapegoat."

"That isn't right!" Hermione hissed. "Prejudice like that only makes things worse."

"Well, unfortunately people either don't care or don't realize there is an issue." Draco grumbled. "So get used to it. I wouldn't be surprised if your whole lot of Gryffindor friends turn their backs on you."

"Well, I suppose those people wouldn't have really been my friends. Would they?"

"We'll see how calm you are the first time it happens." Draco retorted. "It doesn't feel too nice when your friends turn their backs on you."

"You sound as if you know how that feels…"

"Let's just say Pansy and Crabbe and Goyle weren't exactly happy with my decision to support Severus adopting you."

"I'm sorry." Hermione said softly, looking uncomfortable.

"Don't be." Draco said fiercely. "You haven't got any reason to be."


	52. Chapter 52

Severus smiled inwardly to himself as sat at a table in Hogs Head Inn, pleased with how well the two teenagers had gotten along. Today had turned out quite pleasant and both children couldn't have been more behaved. And it had been for that very reason he'd rewarded each Draco and Hermione with a book of their choosing from Borgin and Burkes.

"Dad, what's that you're drinking?" Hermione asked, in between bites of her club sandwich.

"Aberforth's moonshine." He answered, sipping the alcohol from the slightly grimy cup.

"Can I have a sip?"

"You're not going to like it." Severus warned, passing her the glass.

Choosing not to heed his warning, she lifted the glass and took a large gulp, her eyes widening humorously as the liquid burned her throat on the way out. Spluttering and coughing loudly, Draco passed her his butter beer and laughed as she guzzled it down in seconds.

"Oh! That's horrid!" She gagged, wrinkling her nose.

"It's certainly a required taste."

Clover Flint laughed, having sauntered her way over to their table when she'd spotted Severus. With a devilish smirk of her red lips she snatched a chip from his plates, winking one navy eyes in his direction as she swallowed it. Swallowing softly, Severus willed himself to remain stoic as he casually crossed his legs.

"Clover!" He smiled. "Have a seat. Let me get you a drink."

"Why didn't you tell you were taking your daughter out today?" She scolded, playfully slapping his shoulder as she scooted in beside him. "I might've missed her had I not ran into you."

"I didn't want to overwhelm her," Severus explained, "This is all so new to her."

"Nonsense." Clover smiled, looking at Hermione. "She looks like a tough young lady. And why wouldn't she be? She's had you to influence her."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Severus drawled, keeping his face stoic despite the fact that she was now resting a hand atop his knee.

"Just that you're a very tough, string man, Severus. That's all." The mad twinkling in her eyes increased. "Now introduce me to your daughter, she seems to be painfully shy. Just like her father used to be."

"You were shy?" Hermione asked, looking up from her plate.

"Extremely," Clover teased, "No one knew he could even talk until second year."

"A bit of an over exaggeration." Severus mumbled, taking a large swig of his moonshine.

"Not really." She laughed. "If I hadn't seen you talking with Lily and Lucius, I'd have thought you were mute."

"Maybe I just didn't have a lot to say." Severus reasoned, offering her another chip.

"Hogwash." She laughed, accepting the chip. "You're an absolute font of interesting conversation."

"Dad? Who is this?" Hermione asked, seemingly entertained with the well-endowed woman.

"Yes, Severus. Where are your manners?" Draco teased.

Rolling his eyes at his nephew, Severus smiled down at Hermione.

"This is Clover Flint." Severus introduced. "We were in the same year and house at school."

"Hello." Hermione smiled. "I'm Hermione."

"Ah, yes." Clover cupped her face in her hands. "You're the girl that's captured Severus's heart. Not an easy feat, let me tell you."

"Clover." Severus scolded.

"Severus has been bragging up a storm about you. You've made him one proud father." Clover continued on, ignoring Severus's scolding as usual.

"Really?"

"Really." Clover assured, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind Hermione's hair. "And I've been dying to meet the girl behind the legend."

"I wouldn't call myself a legend…" Hermione said softly, suddenly shy.

"And that's a big problem, Hermione." Clover insisted. "You need to have confidence. You're a Slytherin now. You're one of us."

"That's easy for you to say…You're so pretty. And I can just tell you used to be popular."

"You're pretty now." Clover said before Severus could. "And you can still be popular. You just have to try."

"I don't think it's that easy." Hermione protested, blushing slightly.

"Everything is easier when you're a Slytherin." Draco asserted. "Because you know how to get what you want."

"Don't worry, sweetie." Clover added. "I'll give you a few pointers."

"It'd also be a good idea to befriend Astoria once school starts again," Draco drawled, "She's quite the popular girl."

"And you two seemed to get along just fine when you were four." Severus agreed.

"I bet you were just the cutest four year old." Clover gushed.

"Would you like to see some pictures?" Severus asked, already reaching for his wallet.

"Daddy!" Hermione squeaked, grabbing for his wallet.

"Relax, Cherub. None of them are embarrassing. I wouldn't do that to you."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The bathrooms of Hogs Head Inn were, unsurprisingly, filthy and disgusting. But Hermione hardly minded such a fact as she walked into the ladies room, she was in far too good a mood from the confidence boost Clover had given her to let something as minor as a grimy bathroom remove her smile.

Walking over to the long rectangle of a cracked mirror that hung above several rusted sinks, she removed a tube of red lipstick from her designer bag. Preparing to touch up her lips after eating, the way Narcissa had taught her, she pressed the bright color to her top lip. Smiling when she had finished, making sure none of it had gotten on her teeth, she recapped the tube and placed it into back into the pocket of her bag.

"How peculiar."

Hermione startled when the tall woman next to her spoke up. Looking around to see just what said woman found odd, she frowned heavily when nothing out of the ordinary caught her eye.

"Excuse me?"

She turned to look at the swallow-skinned woman, wondering why it was taking her so very long to complete a task as simple as hand-washing. After all, she had been there since before Hermione had walked in.

"Well," She jeered, "It isn't very often that I see an animal who knows how to apply lipstick."

"I'm sorry?" Hermione replied coolly. "Do I know you?"

"I'd highly doubt it." The dour woman sneered. "I'm not one to associate with foul beasts, after all."

"Do you even know me?" Hermione demanded, sending the woman a death glare.

"Oh yes, I know all about you." She snarled. "You're that filthy little mudblood Snivellus adopted."

Removing her hands from beneath the stream of water she took a step closer to Hermione, a horrid looking growl twisting her face up into a grotesque mask. Dark eyes shining, she removed her wand and Hermione backed up several feet.

"He's always had a fondness for Mudbloods, that disgusting bastard. I never trusted him, not after I saw the way he'd lust after that redheaded, dirty-blooded, whore." She spat. "I bet that's why he's adopted you isn't it? Is that what it is? He couldn't have that horrid little slag so he decided that you'd do?"

"It's true isn't it?" A bathroom stall opened, and a familiar voice came. "And I bet you like it. Just like the depraved animal you are, you'll take what you can get." Pansy sneered.

"It's not like you've got very many options. Not with you being as ugly as you are."

Tracey Davis's voice joined the fray and Hermione began to feel trapped. Bullied relentlessly just like she was at school. Only this time it wasn't her own housemates and roommates ganging up on her, it was a grown woman and two girls who knew absolutely nothing about her. She wasn't sure which was worse.

"I wouldn't be talking, Tracey." Hermione sneered, turning back to the woman who was very obviously Pansy's bother. "And as for you, I fail to understand how you've never seen an animal wearing makeup. Considering that you must've taught Pansy how to wear makeup, I'd say you must be pretty accustomed to seeing dogs in lipstick."

"I see Daddy's been teaching you how to defend yourself with words," Mrs. Parkinson mocked, "But let's see if you've learned to protect yourself against physical attacks."

Even though Hermione had been prepared for the woman to draw her wand, she still recoiled as it aimed at her. Stumbling backward, she tried to formulate a plan. But the panic had set in, and she saw no way out. Mrs. Parkinson, fully armed, was blocking the door and Pansy and Tracey were blocking the only window in the room. Not that she'd be able to squeeze through the small square, nor reach it with it being so impossibly high up.

So she did the only thing she could. She screamed, using the screech Daddy always referred to as her banshee-deafening howl. And when saw that the trio of nasty bitches were stunned silent at the vocal assault, she lunged toward the door, only to be grabbed at right as her hand grasped the knob.

Letting loose another screech, she struggled, biting at Mrs. Malfoy's shoulder until she had drawn blood and the woman relinquished her grip in pained shock. Finally free, she yanked the door open and scurried out, bumping into something soft as she stumbled forward.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus gave a relieved sigh as his daughter toppled out of the woman's loo, having feared he would be forced to enter the facilities and find her in a heap upon the cold, stone floor. That being his anger was quickly roused as he watched Hermione sobbing into Avery's chest, evidently so upset she didn't even realize she was bawling into a complete stranger's chest.

"You have less than three seconds to come out of there!" Severus yelled into the loo. "Don't make me come in there!"

"No need, Severus," Petula Parkinson drawled, coming out from the bathroom, "I wouldn't want you to shame yourself by doing anything so improper. Not after you've already committed the grievous faux paus of taking in that." She smirked, jabbing a finger in Hermione's direction.

"You foul little bitch," Severus growled, "You shut your mouth about my daughter."

"You're going to have to leave." Aberforth grumbled. "I can't have you attacking my customers when they go to use the loo."

"And what makes you so sure that that's what I was doing?"

""Because you're a depraved bint." Clover hissed, wand raised at her throat.

"My, my, my." Petula tutted, "There is no need to be so testy."

"You were trying to my hurt my daughter." Severus snapped, ready to hex the woman.

"Perhaps," She shrugged, "But really, it would have been doing her a favor. Sooner or later the both of you will be killed, in a most painful way." She laughed evilly. "The dark lord doesn't take kindly to traitors."

"You listen here, you bint," Avery growled, holding Hermione closer, "The girl is part of Severus's family. And if you mess with her you're messing with him."

"And if you mess with him, you mess with us all." Clover added, in a very deadly voice. "Real Slytherin's stick together."


	53. Chapter 53

"You've been awfully quiet, Cherub," Severus repeated, "Are you absolutely certain you're alright?"

Hermione looked up from her spot beside Severus's feet, having been unwilling to leave his side ever since they'd return from that hellish outing in Knockturn Alley. And no matter how much Severus tried to reassure her she was beautiful, and that Avery and Clover were going to take care of Mrs. Parkinson, the girl grew horridly agitated if Severus so much as moved an inch. And while he had gradually gotten her off his lap, she still kept her arms wrapped tightly around his legs.

"They were going to hurt me," She whispered, "And I couldn't even use my wand to defend myself."

"Is that what this is about?" Severus asked, lovingly ruffling her hair.

She nodded against his knee, closing her eyes for a long moment before she reopened them. With a shuddering breath, she blinked back tears and hid her face in the leg of his trousers. Frowning, Severus rubbed at her back, wishing he could make everything all better with just a few, clever words.

"Severus, is she going to be okay?" Draco asked again, nervously tapping his foot as he sat upright on the couch.

"Of course she will." Severus soothed, squeezing Hermione's shoulder.

It was as he stared into Draco's nearly silver eyes that he finally happened upon a brilliant idea. Raising his wand up slightly, he wordlessly summoned the antique switchblade he kept hidden within his room. Easily catching the family heirloom, he flicked it open and studied the words engraved into the impossibly sharp blade.

'You're either the butcher or the meat.'

The words rang true, to a certain extent. If his daughter was going to survive this war, this life, she'd have to be tougher than she was now. Life wouldn't care if it was unfair, it didn't discriminate, and she needed to be prepared for whatever might come her way. He could wish and hope that her life would be problem free all he'd like, but it would do no good. Hope wouldn't protect her. And he couldn't be there for all the time…she needed to be ready, and it was duty to make certain she was.

Flicking the blade closed, he traced the serpent made of emerald on its handle, still mesmerized by the eyes made from genuine rubies. They shone so brightly, so beautifully, unlike the memory of how he'd received the knife.

His grandfather had tossed it at him, a look of anger on his face as he cursed Severus's mother for killing the Prince bloodline. Spitting at her for being the reason such a precious heirloom should fall into a half-blood bastards keep. And even at nine, Severus knew he hadn't deserved it. He hadn't wanted it either. But he had kept it, having found it useful if nothing else. After all, the knife had saved him from several of the bigger thugs that liked to roam the streets of Spinner's End. And if nothing else, Severus had always thought he'd be able to pawn should he become desperate for money.

But it had never been special for him, not like an heirloom should be. It had been nothing but a reminder of what a burden he was, a tool and nothing else. But it could be special now. He'd give it to his daughter, using the blade as tangible proof she was indeed part of his family. It was a flawless plan. The knife would have meaning again, and Hermione would receive reassurance that she was his and that she'd be able to defend herself.

"Hermione, look at me," He ordered, "Look at, Daddy."

She obeyed without hesitation, her large dark eyes meeting his in the space of seconds. Holding her gaze for a very long moment, Severus marveled at the sweetness still within her. She hadn't been torn apart by the war or life yet, not like he had been. Not like the majority of his Slytherin's had. She was still sweet; a luxury his snakes did not have. He wanted to keep that tenderness within, wanted it to stay. So still holding her gaze, Severus pressed the blade into her hand.

"This has been in my family for centuries, Hermione. And it's yours now."

She blinked, looking into his eyes for a few moments more before she looked down at the weapon clutched tightly into her fist. With wonder she flicked it open, clever enough to realize that the blade had been magically sharpened enough to cut through the bone. Not touching the slim edge of the knife, she ran a finger across the words, a look of determination settling into her dark eyes as she finally closed the switchblade. She spent a few moments more staring down at the serpent made of jewels, smiling slightly at its beauty, before she surprised Severus with her selection of words.

"I won't be the meat, Daddy," She whispered, "I promise."

Severus swallowed the lump in his throat, finding it was becoming hard to breath over the pain in his chest. Cupping her face in his hands, he planted a kiss on her forehead, closing his eyes as he rested his head against hers.

"I don't want you to be the butcher, either," Severus whispered, "But if it comes down to it, you have to promise you'll do whatever it takes to come out alive."

"I will, Daddy. I promise." She insisted.

"And I don't mean just alive, Cherub. You need to keep your soul intact too. That's the most important part." He warned. "Don't ever jeopardize it."

"I promise, Daddy." She assured, cupping his face in her hands. "I promise."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I don't think I've ever seen Severus that…sentimental."

Draco said softly, sitting up from his perch on Hermione's bed. Having spent the better part of the last two hours teaching her how to properly wield the blade, as Severus had gone off to take a nap with suspiciously red eyes, Hermione had declared she'd like to take a break from the self-defense training.

"It was a special moment," Hermione answered, sitting at her vanity to needlessly comb her hair for the tenth time that day, "It was…very meaningful."

Draco rolled his eyes at her, making sure she could see the action in her mirror, but nodded. He himself had almost, almost teared up as he watched the scene. But he couldn't admit that out loud. Not that Hermione and Severus wouldn't already know how he felt.

"You're not going to start blubbering, too, are you?" He teased.

"You'd best not let Dad here you accusing him of 'blubbering.'" Hermione grinned, laughing silently at the thought along with Draco.

"Don't worry. I haven't got a death wish." Draco promised, absentmindedly scratching at Crookshanks ear. "Although I can't say the same for Pansy and Tracey."

Hermione actually laughed out loud for the first time since the accident.

"Daddy's going to slaughter them when he gets hold of them." She shuddered. "I wouldn't even be surprised to find they'd dropped out of Hogwarts before school starts again."

"I might kill them myself, if they haven't," Draco threatened, "I'd do anything for you, Hermione. We're family now."


	54. Chapter 54

Severus smiled as he heard the raucous laughter carrying into the living room from Hermione's room. The sound much louder than was stricter necessary as Severus insisted she leave her bedroom door open as she was, after all, entertaining boys.

Granted Draco hadn't wanted anything to do with the Gryffindors at first. It was only after he'd grouched about the noise in a jealous fit that Severus told him he could either join in their fun or take a nap in Severus's room, because he simply wasn't going to deal with crabbiness. So stalking off in an indignant huff, Draco 'reluctantly' left for Hermione's room.

So, relieved that all four teenagers were getting along so well, he couldn't find it in him to demand they quiet their youthful play. It wasn't hurting anything, and it was broad daylight so he certainly wasn't being forced to sleep through the racket. So letting kids be kids, he turned back to his book and kept one ear tuned to hear any sign of trouble should it arise.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sprawled out atop Hermione's expansive bed, all four teenagers happily munched from the large bowl of crisps settled in the midst of them, happily emerged within a very intense of game of truth or dare.

"Alright Potter, truth or dare?" Draco demanded, feeling deliciously evil as he watched the Gryffindor squirm.

"Truth." Harry replied, overly confident.

"If you had to sleep with any professor in the whole entire school, who would it be?"

"What?!" Harry spluttered, choking on his glass of soda.

"You heard him!" Ron goaded. "You've got to answer."

"Oi! Whose side are you on?!" Harry protested.

"You made me admit I slept with a nightlight until I was nine, this is payback." Ron countered.

"Fine!" Harry hissed. "Professor Burbage. She's probably the youngest one there." He hastened to explain.

"But she's so…wrinkly." Draco laughed.

"And pudgy!" Ron added.

"Well it's better than any of the other options!" Harry snapped. "Could you imagine taking Trewlawney to bed? She'd be predicting your death the whole time!"

Ron audibly gagged at the imagery, his face turning green as he pictured the horrid imagery inside his head. And for once, Draco could say he shared the same thoughts with a Weasley. Not that he'd ever willingly share such information.

"I'd have taken Lockhart…" Hermione grinned, blushing slightly.

"What?" Ron growled. "That self-obsessed prat!?"

"He was good-looking!" Hermione insisted. "And the question was about whether or not we'd sleep with them. I certainly wouldn't marry him!"

"Jealous much, Weasley?" Draco goaded, throwing a crisp at his face.

"No!" He yelled, much too quickly. "I just don't see why she'd want to go to bed with that prat. He'd be thinking of himself the whole time!"

"Relax, mate," Harry grinned, "I'm sure he's not any competition- he's mental now."

"And I'm pretty sure he's gay on top of it." Draco added.

"Pretty sure?" Ron scoffed. "He's a pike if ever I saw one. And I lived with Percy."

"Isn't he going with that Penelope Clearwater, girl?" Hermione asked, her brow slightly furrowed in a very-Severus like manner.

"It's a cover up, I tell you!" Ron exclaimed. "He just needs to come out already, he'd be much less of an arsehole if he did."

"Glad to see you've got your priorities in line." Hermione drawled, rolling her eyes backward.

"Speaking of priorities. I want revenge." Harry interrupted. "Truth or dare, Malfoy?"

"Dare." Draco said confidently, far too Slytherin to be tricked into admitting something personal.

"I dare you to backhand Ron as hard as you can."

"Harry!" Hermione scolded. "Daddy's been a horrid influence on you!"

"What the hell, Harry!?" Ron demanded.

"A dare is a dare." Potter returned, nonchalantly munching on a chocolate frog. "And you've got to do it."

"Wait!" Hermione insisted. "He's got to take off his rings first!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus was nearly finished reading one of the books he'd received from Christmas, the one from Remus and Tonks, when he heard the distinct pitter-pattering of footsteps coming up behind him. Footsteps that clearly belonged to a Gryffindor that did not know the proper technique behind sneaking and being stealthy. And footsteps that were much to light to belong to the stockier built Weasley boy.

"Can I help you, Mr. Potter?"

As expected the boy yelped loudly, eliciting several giggles from the hallway where the other three teenagers were trying (unsuccessfully) to hide themselves. Having been young once himself, Severus was wise enough to know that some sort of teenage high jinx was occurring and that he himself was now a part of whatever game they were playing. But unlike the Marauders, Severus did not have to fear for his well-being because of it.

"Uhh…."

"I'm waiting, Potter."

Severus drawled, turning a page in the book as he left the child to stutter and stand awkwardly behind him. He had managed to get through another two pages, the laughter from the hallway increasing in volume and frequency, when Potter finally made his move.

Severus nearly startled when the quidditch-strengthened arm wrapped around his upper body, enveloping him in an awkward, forced hug. Clearly the children had gotten it into their heads that they'd like to play a game of truth of dare.

"Ten seconds!" Draco whispered from the hallway. "You've got to do it for ten seconds!"

"Or it doesn't count!" Hermione giggled.

Severus waited patiently, and silently throughout the duration of the hug- which certainly made the entire ordeal even worse for Potter. And when the ten seconds had come to end, Severus decided he'd have a little fun as well. So as Potter tried to remove the arms from around his neck, Severus grabbed hold of him and put him into a headlock.

"This wasn't part of the game!" Potter squeaked, as the giggled from the hall turned into uncontainable laughter.

"Unfortunately for you, Mr. Potter," Severus whispered, "I am not involved in this little game of yours. Which means I don't have to abide by its rules."

Not that, as a Slytherin, he'd abide by any games rules should they prove to be pointless or turn out to be nothing but obstacles to winning. But he kept that little comment to himself, figuring it wasn't necessary.

Rising off from the chair, as Potter squirmed in his grasp, Severus maneuvered so that he'd managed to heft the boy over his shoulder. Despite being rather runty, there was no escaping that fact, it was no difficult task to manhandle Potter. What with the many years of torment from the Marauders and his father, Severus had taken care to build up his strength- even if it didn't show.

Walking over the hallway, Severus stared down at the three chuckling children, and raised a single brow. With an evil glint in his eyes, Severus dangled Potter in front of them as said boy continued to wriggle.

"Who dared Potter to touch me without my permission?" He demanded.

"Me." Weasley whispered, looking fearful as if he believed Severus would now dismember his best mate.

"What do you think I should do with Mr. Potter, Weasley?" Severus smirked. "Seeing as this was your dare he failed to complete."

It took a minute for his words to sink into the youngest male Weasley's head, but once it did a large grin split across his face as he pondered what fate he felt should befall his dorm mate.

"Dip him into your cauldron!" Hermione piped up, bouncing on her toes.

"Hermione!" Potter protested.

"Feed him to Aragog!" Draco suggested.

"Make him tell if he fancies my sister!" Ron finally contributed.


	55. Chapter 55

It was the morning before school was set to begin, and Severus was lazily preparing a lesson plan for his third-years as Harry and Hermione continued to play their game of hide and seek. And while Potter had been reluctant to participate in such childish games, Hermione had nearly thrown one of her nastiest fits at his refusal- causing Severus to implore Harry to humor her by playing just a few quick rounds.

Fortunately for him, Harry had gradually become immersed in the play- no doubt enjoying the chance to act as a child as he'd been deprived of such rights during his childhood. The two now laughed and grinned as they carefully selected hiding spots, and Severus was relieved such a simple game could offer him such an opportunity for silence and quality alone time. Something he had not had in a very long time.

Molly had been right, he mused, when he recalled the vast quantities of unsolicited advice the woman had offered. Privacy had become a rarity when he'd taken Hermione in. But he'd have certainly thought that such a problem would vanish, or at least decrease, now that she was fourteen. But it hadn't, and if anything Severus was now dealing with a whole new host of issues much more vexing than the ones he'd had to deal with when she was four.

For starters, the bathroom issues were back again. He couldn't count the number of times he'd been forced into waiting outside the door for the girl to finish her business. And his head still rang from the memory of Hermione's tantrum when he'd informed her it simply wasn't appropriate for him to wait inside the bathroom, and that he wasn't going to do so anymore.

And if that hadn't been awful enough, Severus had to deal with the horrid predicament of being forced into sharing said bathroom with a teenager. A teenage girl. Which meant, as Molly had predicted, he'd been locked out of his own damn bathroom for several hours a day as she did who knew what. And after an agonizing hour yesterday, when he'd nearly pissed himself, he loudly declared that the bathroom was to be used for ablutions or washing only and that if she wanted to spend hours doing her makeup and hair, she'd have to do so in her bedroom. At the vanity Narcissa had insisted in sending over- along with a myriad of other girly furnishings, as she came over yesterday evening to redecorate with Hermione.

Another issue that had come into effect was the horrid amounts of teenage angst that accompanied his daughter's transition back to teenage hood. Amidst cries of, 'nothing looks good on me,' and 'I have nothing to wear,' to the dangerous questions of 'how do I look in this?' and 'does this make me look fat?' Severus was nearly ready to lock himself in his room until she came of age and all her hormones had settled. And from all the horror stories he was hearing from Lucius, Remus, and even Arthur, Severus was beginning to fear he'd have to quarantine Hermione for a week each month.

It was just fortunate for Arthur that he'd had six boys and one girl, instead of six girls and one boy. Because if sweet, obedient, little Hermione was enough for him to handle, six fiery, and explosive Ginny Weasley's would have the entirety of Hogwarts at its feet begging for mercy. And that was the very thing nightmares were made of, Severus decided, as he finally finished his lesson plan and set his quill down.

"Are you done with your work?"

Hermione popped up from nowhere, giving Severus a very slight start. The girl really did pick up on things quickly. It hadn't even been a week and already she was revealing herself to be as crafty, sneaky, and especially cunning, as the next Slytherin. And while that had been what he wanted all along, he found it wasn't quite as fun to deal with a snake when said serpent knew he wouldn't discipline her as readily and harshly as everyone else.

"That depends," Severus sighed, "On what you'd like me to be doing if that really was the case and I was done with work."

Which really wasn't the case. He may have been done with everything that needed to be done right at the moment, and for the next fortnight, but Severus still had plenty he could be doing that Sunday afternoon. He liked to stay ahead, after all. Preferring to keep himself busy with useful work, rather than pointless 'fun' activities.

Although every sense Hermione had come around, he'd been finding himself enjoying said activities more and more. So long as he did them with Hermione, they seemed less like chores and rather became a way for him to express he appreciated her. And much like Potter, he found he'd enjoyed participating in such childish games- having been deprived of the chance to do so when he was a child.

"Will you play a round with us?" Harry asked nervously, from his spot far across the room.

Severus shook his head slightly, unable to refuse such a request. Especially not when he'd been spending the last few weeks with Harry trying to get the more to communicate his wants. It would be pointless, and would likely set back whatever progress he had made with the teenager. And the puppy dog eyes from Hermione weren't helping either, they only made it harder to say no.

"A round of what, Potter? Be more articulate." He automatically corrected.

"A round of hide and seek." Hermione corrected. "Please?"

"One round." Severus said sternly. "So make your hiding spot a good one."

Severus watched with a small smile as both teenagers ran off, immensely grateful that both of them were still able to give into youthful glee despite the horrors that had been done to them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harry shuffled into Snape's room, having exhausted every other option as either too easy, or too boring. He needed the perfect hiding spot. He wanted to show Snape he was clever, too. At least in regards to finding hiding places. Harry had plenty of experience in that regard, and he felt some need to display his knowledge.

So figuring that the last place Snape would look for him was in his own bathroom, Harry carefully searched the pristine room for a good place to conceal himself- taking great care not to go poking into something of Snape's that might be considered personal and private. He was pretty sure Snape would beat the hell out of him he did something so disrespectful, not that he'd want to do something that to begin with. Not anymore, at least.

Carefully opening his closet, in case it should squeak, he stepped inside the dark space and squinted until his eyesight adjusted. This would be a perfect place to hide. What with all the dark, floor-length robes, he'd be perfectly concealed just by hiding behind the garments. But he had an even better idea on top of that.

There was some sort of trunk inside the room, pushed up against a wall with a pile of shredded up robes resting atop of it. It may have been tiny, but it was nothing Harry wasn't used to. His broom closet back at the Dursely's wasn't much bigger, and he'd been crammed into there for days at a time. He could handle a few minutes inside this one. All he had to do was be careful not to knock the clothing off from the top of the lid as he weaseled inside. He'd win this round for sure.

Carefully creaking the lid open, he peered inside, gasping when he saw the deatheater mask and robes. Pulling back, the lid snapped shut and Harry finally noticed the tattered robes on top were the remains of previous deatheater robes.

"Final warning! I'm counting down from ten, now." Snape called out. "Ten…nine…"

Harry gave a jolt at that, his concentration broken, as he pondered what to do. He didn't really feel comfortable looking at the things, he couldn't imagine sitting on top of them. But then again…they were inanimate.

"Eight…Seven…six…five…"

And it was with that warning Harry finally made his decision. Shoving the lid off, he scrambled inside, making himself as comfortable as could before he shut the lid.


	56. Chapter 56

"Alright, Potter!" Severus barked. "You have exactly three seconds to come out!"

"Harry, this isn't funny anymore!" Hermione yelled, peering beneath the sofa for the fifteenth time that hour.

Severus beyond livid. Never had he been so upset with the Potter offspring that he was now- not even when he had caused that horrid potions accident. So help him, when he got ahold of that boy he'd blister his arse so that sitting pleasantly with a cool backside would be nothing but a distant memory for him.

Because what was meant to be a twenty minute game at most had quickly turned into an hour of frustration as neither he nor Hermione had been able to locate the Gryffindor. And after half an hour had passed with no results, Severus had given in and requested that the boy reveal himself. And when the Boy-Who-Was-Soon-To-Get-His-Arse-Beat refused to do so, Severus had pulled out his wand and ordered it to point him to Potter.

It had been the wand showed itself incapable of such an action that Severus began to panic. Potter was somewhere within his apartment, that was a fact. The wards on his door would have alerted him to anyone leaving. So where the hell could the boy be? He and Hermione had already torn the place apart, creating a mess, as they searched every last nook and cranny. Where could he possibly be hiding that Severus couldn't find him.

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione screeched. "Come out now!"

"The trunk."

Severus whispered, a thought coming to mind as he opened a linen closet. That would be the only thing that would make sense….But surely they boy wasn't daft enough to try and hide inside a trunk coated in moleskin.

"I've checked them all!" Hermione snapped, throwing the stove door open again.

"Son of a bitch!" Severus muttered, already hurrying into his room. "That idiot!"

"Dad-"

Severus ignored Hermione's questioning and ran into his bedroom. Throwing open his closet doors, he saw what he had missed before. The tattered deatheater robes (things he intended to give to Narcissa for use in quilt-making) had been knocked to the floor. So sure he had been that Potter wouldn't be stupid enough to so much as open the trunk, Severus had missed the very obvious signs that that was indeed what he had done.

Without hesitation, Severus threw the lid open, revealing a very distraught Harry Potter. Red faced and crying very heavily, Harry didn't even notice that he was now free. Shielding his face in his hands, Harry shook horridly.

"Harry!"

Severus quickly reached in and pulled the boy out, grimacing as he noticed the boy had vomited all over himself due to the panic attack he was very clearly having. Grasping the boy in an extremely hold, he flinched as the boy struck out in his panic. Hurrying out of the dark of the closet, hoping that it would calm the boy to see the light, he collapsed unto the sofa while Potter bite and scratched and screamed out unintelligible nonsense.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, hurrying over before Severus stopped her with a shake of his head.

"Don't get too close, not yet." He ordered. "Go grab me a calming drought. Now!" He barked, when all she did was stare. "Please."

"I'll be good." Potter panted. "Don't put me back in the dark, Vernon."

"Harry! Harry! Shhh, shhh." Severus soothed. "It's me, you're safe."

"I'm sorry. I'll be good." He moaned.

"Shh, drink this." Severus coaxed, accepting the vial from Hermione. "Come on."

"Snape? Snape?" Harry asked, shaking slightly as he began to come to his senses.

"Yes, come now. Drink up." Severus coaxed. "You're safe, you're safe."

Severus sighed in relief when Potter obeyed without fuss, and he resolved to reward the boy his maturity once he returned to his senses. Holding the boy closer, he rubbed at his back, all the anger he had felt vanishing as it was replaced with relief or epic proportions.

"I'm sorry, Snape." He gasped, struggling to remain awake. "Didn't know."

"Foolish boy," Severus said softly, "That was a moleskin trunk."

"Didn't know what that was…" Harry slurred. "Thought it felt funny."

"There is a reason Hermione isn't allowed into my room without permission," Severus smirked, "I suppose I should have warned you the same rules apply."

"Wasn't your fault…" Harry yawned. "Sorry, Severus."

Severus tensed up slightly at Potter's words but quickly relaxed himself when he realized he had set the boy on edge by doing so.

"Did you just call me Severus?" He asked softly.

"Is that not okay?" Potter yawned, his eyes fluttering shut.

"It's fine, Potter…You're fine."


	57. Chapter 57

"Hermione, it's time to wake up."

Severus sang softly as he walked into his daughter's room, gently rousing her by shaking her shoulder as the clock in the living room indicated it was seven. Sinking down atop the soft mattress he smirked as she scowled and turned away, burying her face beneath Thomas.

"Come on, Cherub." Severus coaxed. "It's time to start school again, aren't you excited?"

"I don't want to school today, Daddy." She groaned. "I'm sick."

"You were just fine yesterday," Severus drawled, kissing her forehead, "And you don't feel warm."

"I don't want to go to school." She repeated, crossing her arms across her chest.

"But you love school," Severus reasoned again, "You've been talking about it all week."

"I want to sleep." She growled, rolling away out of his reach.

"Hermione Narcissa…" Severus warned. "You need to get up, now."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Severus demanded, flicking the lights on. "You don't tell me no."

"I just did." She muttered, rolling unto her stomach so she could block the light out by burying her face in the mattress.

Severus frowned and brought a hand down on her bottom, not appreciating the attitude coming from the normally docile Hermione. She was just so well-behaved the majority of the time that when she actually acted out it was much more extreme than should be the norm.

She yelped loudly at the light tap and jerked upright, fixing him with a glare so fierce Severus was amazed she didn't set fire to his robes with the heat it gave off. He easily returned the glare, and lifted a warning finger in her direction.

"You have exactly four seconds to get out of bed." Severus warned. "One."

"Two." She met his eyes with a look of sheer audacity.

"Three." Severus was not caving in, he needed to be firm- especially not that she was a teenager.

She smirked, jerking her chin upward. "Four."

"GET OUT OF BED, NOW!" He snapped, having been pushed more than he cared to be.

"I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL TODAY!" She shrieked, throwing a pillow at his chest.

"Wrong move, little girl." Severus chastised.

And with that he stomped forward, yanking her off the bed as gently as he could. Making certain she remained upright, he held her tight and landed a series of smacks upon her pajama clad bottoms. When she screeched loudly at the assault, he released her, looking down in concern as she sank down on the floor and sobbed loudly in a manner much like she had when she was four. Maybe she wasn't ready for school just yet.

"Cherub."

Severus spoke softly, lowering himself down unto the carpet to sit beside her. When she threw herself into his arms, he squeezed her tighter, pulling her into his lap. Humming softly, as that always worked wonders to soothe her, he allowed her to sob out her frustration for as long as she needed. Thankfully it only took twenty minutes for her to self-sooth rather than the usual, exhausting hour.

"I don't want to go to school today." She cried, sniffling into his neck.

"Why?" Severus asked, needing to get to the root of the problem to solve it.

"Because of Pansy, and Tracey!" She complained. "And everyone's going to harass me!"

Ah, joy. More of that teenage angst. It was just what Severus wanted to deal with this early in the morning.

"Pansy and Tracey have been dealt with." Severus promised. "And while the other kids may try to harass you, they'll soon find themselves dealing with the uncomfortable sensation of my foot up their arses."

She sniffled as she chuckled at the imagery, cuddling closer to him as he smiled alongside her.

"Besides," He soothed, "You've become a pretty formidable advisory yourself. And you'll have many Slytherin's looking out for you as well."

"What about the Gryffindors?" She hiccupped.

"I'm sure the one's that matter will stand up for you as well." He comforted. "And the ones that don't will have to deal with you. And then they'll have to deal with me."

"I'm already ahead with schoolwork," She sniffled, "Can we just take one more day off?"

"We?" Severus asked, already wondering how he was going to inform Minerva and Albus that he wasn't going to class on such short notice.

"Please?"

Severus sighed. "Little brat. You always get what you want, don't you?"

"I love you." She sang, kissing his chin.

"Love you too, Cherub." Severus assured. "Now get dressed, before I decide to make you scrub cauldrons for that little outburst of yours."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus had waited patiently outside the door to the bathroom for a good twenty minutes before he began to grow concerned. He waited another ten minutes before he softly rapped on the door, and called out his daughter's name.

"Are you alright in there?"

"Yes." Came the rather pinched reply. "Can you floo Narcissa over?"

"She's in Paris with Lucius," Severus explained, "Why do you need her?"

"Can't you get ahold of her?" She demanded, sounding greatly stressed.

"Hermione- what the hell is going on in there?" Severus demanded. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" She hissed. "Can you get Ginny?"

"Ginny?" Severus asked. "Hermione, she's in class."

"Lavender?"

"Hermione- you don't like Lavender." Severus reminded her. "And she's in class."

"Well- who isn't in class?" She demanded hotly.

"Is something wrong?" Severus pestered. "Talk to me? Do-"

"I need tampons." She muttered, almost inaudible as the door was rather thick.

"What?" Severus coughed, having not expected such a personal crisis to be the issue.

"You heard me," She hissed, "And I haven't got any lying around."

"Not even in your room?"

"No! In case you've forgotten I've only been fourteen again for a week!" She snapped.

"And Narcissa didn't-"

"OBVIOUSLY she didn't!"

Severus groaned, cursing Narcissa for leaving this to him. His only comfort came from the fact that Hermione at least seemed to know what to do in this situation, making him immensely grateful that he needn't deal with her first encounter of this issue.

"Well, I'm sure if you go to Poppy she can-"

"Are you mad?" She scoffed, sounding like she was crying. "I can't go. I'm dripping b-"

"Alright! Alright!" He quickly cut her off before she could go into detail. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to go and get me some-"

"Alright!" Severus barked. "Do you need a specific brand?"

"No! Just go." She pleaded.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Severus, honestly," Poppy exclaimed, "What is this all about?"

Clearly Poppy was not amused by the way he'd forcibly ushered her into her own office and firmly closed and locked the door behind him. Nor did she seem amused by the way he had heavily warded said door after him.

"Er," Severus squirmed uncomfortably for the first time in years," Well…"

"Severus, are you alright?" She demanded. "You look flushed!"

"No, I'm fine." He insisted, stopping the woman before she could feel his forehead, "It's actually Hermione I'm here about."

"Is she ill? Is that why she's missing class today?" Poppy drilled.

"No, she's fine." Severus assured. "But…she requires…certain…certain things…"

Poppy gave him a blank look. "Can you be a bit more specific?"

"Things, Poppy." Severus grunted. "You know…things for girls."

"Oh!" Poppy actually laughed heavily in his face, clutching her sides. "Why didn't you just say so!?" She asked, shaking her head. "You Slytherins are so secretive about this sort thing!"

"Stuff it, Poppy!" Severus barked. "Do you have what she needs or not?"

Poppy grinned. "Maybe, but you'll have to tell me what it is you need. I suddenly don't know what you're talking about."

"Poppy, please." He grimaced. "Just give me what I need, and every student I assign detention to will be at your mercy."

"Very well, no need to be so dramatic." Poppy laughed, amused that she had gotten him to beg. "What kind does she need?"

Severus blanched. "She said she didn't care about the brand."

"I meant absorbency wise." She clarified.

"Does that matter?" Severus growled. "Don't you all bleed the same?!"

"No, we don't." She huffed, chucking a cardboard box at his head. "Those are extra absorbent, they'll work regardless."

"Thank you." He muttered, hastily shoving the box beneath his robes.

"One word of advice, Severus," Poppy called after him, "Chocolate is going to be your best friend for the next few days.


	58. Chapter 58

Hermione's self-esteem was incredibly high that Tuesday morning as she walked into History of Magic. For the first time in her fourteen years of life she was a source of distraction for boys as she made her way toward her spot between Ron and Harry. Her. Not Lavender, not a Patil twin, not Cho, not Ginny, and not Astoria. But her. And it felt amazing. Boys were now being smacked upside their heads by their girlfriends on account of her! And all it had taken was a little bit of makeup, jewelry, and coconut scented hair and perfume. Why hadn't she seen that earlier?

"MMM." Ron grinned. "Your perfume is making me hungry."

"We just had breakfast, Ron." She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Ten minutes ago." He grouched, rubbing his stomach.

"You can't possibly still be hungry." She asserted, watching as he drooled over a sugar quill.

"It's Ron, Hermione. Ron's always hungry."

Harry teased, discreetly opening a chocolate frog beneath his seat so that Professor Binns would not notice. Not that the ghost ever noticed much to begin with. She was almost certain a full-fledged hexing war could erupt and the man would simply continue droning on and on about the Giant Wars without pausing to ever stop the violence. She was actually pretty surprised she hadn't heard of such stories actually happening, what with people like the Weasley twins and Marauders running about.

"Does anyone remember the name of the giant that began the Rebellion of Scottsdale?"

"Ragonrock." Hermione declared confidently, speaking loudly so that the ghost would hear.

"Five points to Gryffindor." Binns droned. "Ragonrock was an exceptionally tall giant, standing at…."

Binns continued on without pause, going over material Hermione had already read about last year in the Hogwarts library. But still she continued to pay attention as always, figuring that one day Binns might actually share some information that she did not already know. And it wasn't like the alternative was much better. It was either listen to Binns monotone, or join in with the conversation of Quidditch that Ron and Harry were animatedly discussing.

"….most people don't know is that Ragonrock was actually a vegetarian in most regards…"

"….hear Krum was going to ask her to the Yule Ball…."

"….abstaining from most kinds of meat save the occasional flesh of human enemies…"

"….was going to ask her myself but…"

"'Mione."

Hermione gave a gasp as someone's warm breath brushed against her neck. Had she not been struggling so hard to focus on Binns, she'd have surely given a slight scream of surprise at the unexpected mentioning of her name by a boy who hardly ever did any talking.

Without turning around and without taking her eyes of the front of the room, she took a deep breath to steal the sudden nerves she felt. What did this boy want? And had Draco told him what she'd said about his hair when she was four?

"Theodore?"

"Call me Theo." He insisted, his breath ticking her ear.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, suddenly self-conscious.

"I switched seats with Lavender."

Hermione bit back a groan. The last thing she needed was for a huge gossip like Lavender to start rumors about her being involved with Theo. Which was exactly what she'd being now that he'd asked her to switch seats. Even now, she could hear her distinct voice intermingling with Parvatti's as they laughed and giggled.

"This is how rumors start." She informed him, pleased that Ron and Harry had already dozed off. She didn't need them joining in with Lavender and Parvatti after all. "People will think-"

"I don't care what people think, so long as they're thinking about me."

"Awfully conceited of you, don't you think?" She teased, despite being rather nervous.

"Nobody wants to be ignored of forgotten." He wisely countered. "Besides, you've already got a dozen rumors chasing after you."

"What?!"

Hermione felt herself chill, having been totally unprepared to hear such news. Not one to participate in gossiping, either contributing or listening, she was always the last to know about the latest bits of news- especially when she was the object of said rumors. Unless of course she was being bullied- than the news was thrown into her face as a weapon.

"They're saying you stabbed your father in a fit of rage. That you were angry with him because he was going to send you away to reform school."

"And just why would I have been sent to reform school?" She hissed, snapping her quill in her irritation.

"They've been saying you've been a bad girl…telling lies that you've been whoring around with your uncle, and that your father was only trying to help by shipping you off."

Hermione could literally feel her blood boiling as she gritted her teeth to keep from yelling. Who the hell spread rumors like that?! And even if it was true, which it most certainly wasn't, why would they spread that all around school? Didn't they have any sense of decency and respect?

"And what else have Pansy and Tracey been telling everyone?"

"It wasn't Pansy and Tracey, their rumors are much worse!"

He explained, sympathy in his voice as he spoke more words in ten minutes than she'd hear him say all year. Since when had the boy become so talkative? And just why did his voice continue to excite her when he was spouting off hurtful information?

"Than whom?" She demanded, the grip on her broken quill tightening.

"I think you need to see Brown and Patil about that." He breathed. "You've got some pretty shoddy roommates if you ask me."

She was hardly surprised at the news, but still, the betrayal stung as sharply as Harry's exploding potion had. Why the hell were girls so cruel? Biting her tongue, she staunched her tears before they could begin. She wasn't some sniveling child anymore- crying in the bathroom because a silly boy had insulted her about having no friends. She was a big girl now, half lion and half snake. She was much too proud and brave too give those bints the satisfaction of knowing they had made her cry.

Turning around in her seat, she looked past Theo and fixed the giggling Gryffindor duo with a death glare, waiting until the heat from the gaze caused them to take notice and look up. Holding the glower as they tried to fake a look of friendliness, she scowled as deeply as she could. It wasn't until the giggling had stopped, at the two stood with looks of fear and confusion on their faces, did she turn back around to face the front.

"Severus would be proud of that look you just gave." Theo whispered. "Don't pay any attention to those slags. They're jealous. They've always been."

"Regardless of the reason, I'll have my revenge." She hissed, giving into her feelings of vindictiveness.

"Let me help." Theo pressed. "We can discuss tactics when we go to Hogsmeade this weekend."

"We're going to Hogsmeade together?"

"Yes, actually." She could hear the laugh in his voice. "We're having a few drinks at the Hog's Head Inn."

"When was this decided?" She grinned, finally releasing her grip on the quill.

"When I saw just how lovely you looked with red lips."

"I hope you've asked my father first, Theo." She warned, feeling light-headed.

"I'm not daft." He whispered. "I asked him a week ago."

"Oh." And that was all she could say.

"We'll meet in the room of requirements an hour before everyone leaves."

"You know about-"

"Are you kidding me? Eighty percent of the secrets in the castle belong to the Slytherins."

"We can't meet alone in that room. Dad will have both of our heads!"

"Draco and Astoria will be 'chaperoning.' And we'll be 'chaperoning' them."

"I'm not sure if that scares or excites me." She admitted, wondering if this was what flirting was.

"Why can't it be a little of both?"


	59. Chapter 59

Hermione had been eagerly awaiting Potions class all day, and not only because she'd have a chance to see her father. Although that was certainly an extremely high point in her day of mixed emotions. What with the butterflies Theo had given her, and the rage that had been caused by Lavender and Parvatti, she had needed the comforting sight of her father. But his calming presence had only done so much to ground her. She was still going to do as she'd planned to do ever since the beginning of History of Magic. And that was to confront the two Gryffindor's who'd been caught spreading lies about her and her personal life.

So while everyone was still crowded outside the potions classroom, waiting for her Dad to usher them, she made her move. Wading her way through the crowd of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, she finally managed to locate the two culprits- both of whom were attempting to hide behind the Bloody Baron in a very stupid, and cowardly manner.

"Hermione!" Lavender grinned, failing to look innocent. "I love your lipstick!"

"And your hair!" Parvatti grinned. "It was just so…blah before."

"Kind of like your personality?" Hermione sneered, placing a hand on her hip.

The corridor went deathly silent as the students began to feel the tension, and it wasn't long before a semi-circle had formed around the three of them. As much as Hufflepuffs claimed to hate confrontation, they sure seemed eager for something to spice up the dreary January morning.

"I- what?"

Lavender looked lost when she realized she'd been insulted, unused to Hermione being anything but docile and level-headed. Parvatti looked flabbergasted herself, opening and closing her mouth in a very unflattering fish-like manner.

"Our personalities aren't blah." Lavender said snobbishly, sticking her nose in the air.

"You could have fooled me," Hermione drawled, "Because any bint that has to make herself feel better by spreading lies about someone else, seems pretty boring and pointless to me."

"Are you calling us worthless?" Parvatti snapped, having the nerve to look insulted.

"It doesn't feel so nice when people say awful things about you, does it?" Hermione demanded, stepping closer to the two. "The only difference is that I haven't been lying about anything."

"Oh, how cute," Lavender patronized, "The homely little bookworm thinks she's something special now that she's fixed her horrid hair and teeth!"

"Anyone can fix their appearance with a little work, Lavender. It's a shame you can't fix your horrid personality as easily as you hide your acne beneath all that makeup you cake on."

"Just because you're all dressed up and bejeweled like a Slytherin whore doesn't mean you've got to become a nasty, little, deatheater." Parvatti hissed.

"I'm no deatheater." Hermione growled.

"I'm not so sure, anymore." Lavender jeered. "What with a daddy like Snape, I'd be surprised if you weren't sporting the dark mark."

"Listen here, you slags." Hermione threatened. "I'm not taking your shit anymore. Keep my name out of your mouth."

"Like you couldn't keep your uncle out of yours?" Parvatti laughed.

"I'd hardly be laughing, Patil." Hermione scoffed. "Seeing as you'll likely be married off to a cousin within a few years. Isn't that what your people do?"

"That's racist!" A hufflepuff gasped.

"And so is assuming all Slytherins are deatheaters!" Hermione snapped.

"Historically speaking they don't have a good track record!" Lavender barked.

"Historically speaking you are a vindictive bitch!" Hermione hissed, before turning to Parvatti. "And statistically speaking- you are, in every sense of the word, a whore."

"At least I can get some." Parvatti retorted.

"Maybe, but with all the 'love' you get you'll be worn out by the time you're 16- with your only chance of getting married depending on whether or not your father can fool some poor bloke into marrying you."

Crack!

In all fairness, Hermione had probably earned that slap from Parvatti. But that did little to take away the sting on her cheek. Ignoring the collective gasps from the crowd, she took a deep breath, unwilling to stoop so low as to engage in unseemly, unladylike behavior.

"I wouldn't stand so cocky, Granger," Lavender snarled, "It won't be too long before your Daddy hands you over to You-Know-Who."

Thump!

She couldn't help it, her fist snuck out on its own accord and connected with Lavender's nose- much like it had Draco's last year. Furious, and ready to do a lot more, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She wasn't going into a physical fight with them- they weren't worth it.

"Anteculatia!" Parvatti screeched, pointing her wand at Hermione's face.

Thankfully the horn-growing hex missed, giving Hermione more than enough time to withdraw her own.

"Densaugeo!" She enunciated, hitting Parvatti. "Expilliarmus." She screamed at Lavender, disarming the girl who was trying to gang up on her whilst she was occupied with Parvatti.

"Affligo!"

"Everte Statum!"

"Hermione!"

"Lavender!"

Within minutes of the dueling several students intervened, yanking both girls' wands from their fists with great amounts of effort being given as neither girl was eager to release their weapons.

"Ugly bint!" Lavender hissed. "Your own parents didn't even want you!"

"Acne-ridden slag!"

"Greasy snake!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus hurried down the corridors toward his classroom, running late due to the unfortunate fact that he'd just had to run a sobbing child down to the hospital wing as they'd been burned horridly by foolishly allowing their robes to catch fire from the flames beneath the cauldron.

He certainly hadn't expected to see the all too familiar circle of students that signified a fight had now broken out. And if the throng hadn't alerted him to such a fact, the screaming and exchange of vulgar insults served as a potent indicator of such.

"Move aside!" He barked, scattering the already skittish Hufflepuffs with ease.

For a moment all he could do was stare at the sight in front of him as Hermione, Patil, and Brown all tried to gauge each other's eyes out with their painted up finger nails. And while he was moderately amused that Hermione seemed to be faring best, even with it being two on one, he was none too pleased to realize that it was his own daughter engaging in such undignified behavior.

"What is going on here?!" He hollered, scowling the girls kept at it.

Stomping forward as angrily as he could he reached down and plucked Hermione up from her current position atop Brown. Flailing and still kicking, he kept a firm grip on his daughter, glaring as both Brown and Patil scurried to their feet and tried to conceal the fact that they'd be participants in such a fracas.

"Brown, Patil!" Severus roared. "Take yourselves to the hospital wing! Now! Hermione- stop fighting me!"

She finally stopped flailing as she watched the two Gryffindor's run off, their tails tucked behind them. It was then that she apparently began to realize the seriousness of the moment, and went limp- able to sense his fury.

"As for you-" Severus drawled. "Go directly to the hospital wing. You are to trail behind them, and so help me if you disobey!"


	60. Chapter 60

It was with very heavy feet that Hermione made her way down to the dungeon corridors that afternoon after classes, dread and anxiety weighing her down to such an extent that had Draco and Theo not been walking with her, she just might have turned around and ran to hide in the Gryffindor common room.

"If it makes you feel any better, they deserved it." Draco sympathized.

"How the hell is that supposed to make me feel better?" Hermione demanded, sending Peeves a glare so nasty he scurried off.

"He'll go easier on you because of it." Theo explained, carrying her books for her.

"And really, the only reason he's cross is because you acted like a Gryffindor and attacked in the heat of the moment." Draco clarified. "He'd rather you wait to take action when no one is around to witness and tattle to McGonagall or Dumbledore."

"Either way, he's going to kill me." Hermione groaned, frowning as they arrived at the Slytherin common room.

"Nah," Theo smirked, "He'll maim you at most. Good luck." He added, handing her back her school things.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus had been waiting patiently for his daughter to arrive, seated in his favorite chair with a glass of calming tea resting between his hands. Laced with a calming drought, and a touch of firewhiskey, Severus found himself rather calm despite the awful things he had heard Patil and Brown yelling at Hermione as he had made his way to the dungeons.

Because in the grand scheme of things, Hermione brawling while there were witnesses around had only minutely irritated at him most. What had him so livid to begin with was the horrid, perverted rumors he'd been hearing all morning about Hermione. His wrath had only been exacerbated when he'd heard those two cows screaming such things directly into his daughter's face without any hesitation. Because he certainly couldn't thrash them like he'd wanted to, he could only take 50 points and assign the most foul of detentions (scrubbing bedpans with no magic).

Looking up when he heard the door opening, he took in his daughter's appearance. Now only slightly disheveled, whereas before she'd been a wreck, she walked sheepishly into the living room and stood nervously before him as she clutched her books to her chest.

"You look as if I'm going to beat you." Severus commented. "Put your books down and sit."

She did as ordered, placing her textbooks down atop the coffee table. Shuffling nervously, she surprised him by settling down into his lap. He'd have figured she'd want to sit as far away from him as she could, what with how fearful she looked about the entire situation. Wrapping his arms about her, he hugged her tightly, relaxing as she rested her head on his chest. Clearly she wasn't too terrified of him.

"I suspect you'd like an explanation?"

"Indeed, Hermione." Severus drawled, keeping his voice even.

"I know it's not a good excuse," She breathed, "But Theo told me some of the rumors they've been spreading about me. And they were just vile. So I confronted them about it. I didn't think it'd get physical- really I didn't. But when Lavender told me you were 'just waiting for the right time to hand me over to Voldemort' I lost my cool."

Severus felt his jaw clench, and he had to force himself not to hunt that little brat down.

"She said that?"

"Yes." Hermione scowled. "And they drew their wands first! And Parvatti slapped me first!"

"Hermione, you're a Slytherin now. You can't behave as boorishly as the Gryffindors. You should have waited for a better opportunity to avenge yourself."

"I know." Hermione sighed. "Am I going to get spanked?"

"Not this time." Severus soothed. "But do it again, and you can bet that that's what'll happen."

"Aren't you even remotely angry?" Hermione questioned.

"Not at you." Severus sighed. "I'm angry at that those awful people who're spreading such vile rumors."

"You heard them too?"

"Unfortunately." Severus growled. "I'll have to bring out my worst to squash them, I'm afraid. It won't be an easy few weeks for those brats either."

"So…I don't have detention or anything?"

"Don't be foolish. I can't give preferential treatment to my daughter." Severus smirked. "You'll be helping me brew some potions this afternoon."

"Oh no! Anything but that." Hermione laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm afraid so young lady." Severus sighed. "You'll be forced to help me brew the wolfsbane potion as punishment for your brawling."

"Whatever will I do?" Hermione drawled in a monotone.

"Finish your homework, brat." Severus grinned. "I assume you don't need any help?"

"No. I've got to finish my essay for History of Magic, and answer a few questions for Transfiguration. I'll be done in an hour tops."

"You're just my clever, little, Cherub. Aren't you?"

"Damn straight, Dad." She laughed. "But what about Professor McGonagall?"

"What about Minerva?" Severus asked, raising a dark brow.

"Don't you think she's going to be giving me detentions on top of the 'detention' you gave me?"

"Minerva almost never adds her own punishments on top of mine, seeing as mine are always so harsh. If anything she tries to lesson them."

"Good." Hermione sighed. "Because I don't want to be anywhere near Lavender and Parvatti."

"They're your dorm mates, Hermione. I'd hardly think you can avoid them forever," Severus explained, "Unless of course, you'd prefer to continue your residency here."

"I can stay?!"

"Of course!" Severus smiled. "In fact, it's probably best this way. Seeing as you've proven yourself to be a murderous madwoman in the presence of those two horrid girls."

"I know we were never close, but I at least thought we we're friends," She frowned, "Why would they do this to me?"

"They're insecure." Severus explained.

"So was I! I still am." Hermione protested, scowling heavily.

"People respond to their insecurities in a variety of ways. Unfortunately it's not always in healthy manner. Many friendships can be ruined because of it."

"You sound as if you know how that feels…" Hermione said softly. "Clover…clover said something about you spending time with a girl named Lily. Is that…Harry's mum…And if it is, how come you're not mentioned when Sirius is telling stories about them…?"

"Lily and I became mates, best mates, when we were ten." Severus swallowed down a lump in his throat. "We remained that way until the end of our fifth year at school."

"What…What happened? How come Harry doesn't know about this? Why hasn't Sirius or Remus mentioned it?"

"Lily…Lily and I had an awful row. And I said something I never should have said. I was mortified and angry, not at hers, and I snapped. And it cost me very dearly."

"What happened?"

"The marauders happened. They attacked me, four on one, like usual. And they used my own spells against me to levitate me into the air. And if that wasn't awful enough, they removed my trousers and pants, and left me to hand as everyone laughed."

"That's horrid. And that's why Sirius doesn't mention it!" Hermione looked horrified. "That's why you hate him so much, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Severus nodded. "And nearly leading me to my death by werewolf hadn't exactly endeared myself to him.

"What did you call her?"

Severus closed his eyes, hating the taste of the word, and despising the pain it brought about in every part of his body. Oh, how much that word had cost him. How much his anger, his rage, his fear had cost.

"Mudblood." He whispered, grimacing as he did so. "And I've paid dearly every day because of it."

"You were sorry," Hermione breathed, "Why wouldn't she forgive you?"

"I was going down some very dark paths…She was wise to leave me behind."

"No!" Hermione barked. "Friends don't leave each other behind, they stay."

"Hermione, please." Severus pleaded. "I don't wish to discuss this any further."


	61. Chapter 61

"What do you mean, 'you're going out with Theodore Nott?!'" Ron yelled.

Slamming down his goblet of pumpkin juice atop the Gryffindor table, the redhead's mood took a drastic turn from cheery to furious all in the space of seconds that bleary, Wednesday morning.

"What the hell, Hermione?" Harry joined in. "I thought you were going to Hogsmeade with us."

"They'll be other Hogsmeade weekends."

She reasoned calmly, wondering just who the hell had told the duo about her plans. She'd have bet good money it had something to do with Brown and Patil, judging by the way they had laughed at Ron's outburst. So help her, those two girls were going to be the death of her.

But how had they heard? As far she knew the secret was only known by Theo, Draco, and Astoria. Then again, Daddy was always warning her that somebody's eyes were always watching, and somebody's ears were always listening. She shouldn't have listened to him. After all, he'd never been wrong about any of the other advice he had offered.

"That's not the point!" Ron growled, angrily brandishing a fork.

"Than what is?" Hermione sighed, shaking her head at their foolishness.

"You've spending the last few months with the Slytherins, Hermione. And now that you're better again, you're still choosing them over us."

"That's not the issue, either!" Ron protested, looking largely insulted.

"Than what is?!" Hermione yelled, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"If you're so brilliant, why don't you figure it out yourself?!"

Ron hissed, stomping off from the table in a huff. Hermione could only stare after the ginger-haired boy, wondering what on earth could have possibly possessed the boy to willingly leave a meal he hadn't even ate half of. It wasn't like him at all, and she never thought she'd see the day Ron spurred food.

"What is wrong with you two?" Hermione demanded, giving Harry a lost look.

"We're confused, Hermione!" Harry snapped. "We don't understand why you're still hanging about the Slytherins now that you're you again. We thought you'd get back to being a proper Gryffindor…instead of that confused little four year old!"

"I'm still me!" Hermione cried. "And I wasn't confused then and I'm not confused now! Slytherins aren't what you and the rest of the world think they are! They're people, and they're victims of this war, too! Maybe even more so."

"Oh?!" Harry yelled, jumping upright. "I must be confused then. Because the last time I checked it was their lot that killed my parents!"

"That's not fair, Harry! You wouldn't judge an entire race by the actions of a few! Why are you doing it to a house!?"

"Why are you justifying a bunch of evil, sociopaths?!" Harry countered. "You know what? Why don't you just go and join them for lunch?"

"Harry, what are you saying?"

"That maybe you don't fit in here as well as you used to."

He spoke coldly, sinking back down into his seat before he pointedly looked away from her direction.

"Harry…Ginny…Dean…Neville…"

Hermione tried valiantly to plead her case, to find a sympathizer, but it was to no avail. As she looked from friend to friend they turned away, ostracizing her-like she had committed some great crime. When all she had done was keep an open mind, and accept a date from a friendly boy. What was wrong with that?

"Maybe you should leave…" Lavender suggested, a horrid sneer turning her face into an ugly mask.

"For once," Hermione said evenly, "I think you're right."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco gave a slight start as Hermione ungracefully plopped down between him and Theodore, nearly spilling his goblet of juice on Astoria who sat on the other side of the table.

"What the hell are you doing?" Draco hissed. "You can't sit here!"

"There aren't any rules that dictate a student must eat with their house." Hermione hissed. "And if it's alright with you, I'd rather eat my lunch with friends."

"You've come to the right place." Astoria grinned, raising her goblet in her direction.

"Although I'd keep an eye out for Pansy and Tracey," Theo warned, "They've been giving you a pretty strong stank eye ever since you sat down."

"They can stare all they like, I'm not moving." Hermione asserted, stealing a bread roll from Draco's plate.

"Just prepare yourself to be the talk of the school for a while."

Aster Burke cautioned, her purple eyes (the color of the flower she was named after) filled with nothing but sympathy. There was also a slight hint of boredom, but Hermione chalked that up to nothing more than the typical fourth-year restlessness that seemed to be affecting the vast majority of the school.

"I'm already the talk of the school." Hermione lamented, stealing a sip from Draco's goblet.

"But that's not necessarily a bad thing." Astoria insisted.

"Oh?" Hermione asked, raising a brow at the third year.

"If they're talking about you, they're thinking about you." Aster explained. "And you want all this attention, even if it is negative."

"Believe me, I don't want this attention." Hermione argued kindly.

"You do." Astoria repeated. "You're beautiful and confident now."

"And you want the entire school to see that." Aster finished, a look of smug satisfaction showing on her face.

"I suppose that could be the silver lining of all this nonsense." Hermione agreed. "But still, I'd rather they at least left my father out of this."

"So do the majority of us." Theo mumbled, ever quiet.

"Which is precisely why we've been taking measures to end those rumors." Draco explained. "They could get Severus into a lot of trouble with their lies."

"Isn't Dad already doing that?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes, as much as he can." Astoria nodded. "But with him being a professor, he can't do the things we students can."

"I see." Hermione smiled, pleased to see she still got on easily with Astoria.

"Good," Aster praised, "Because we've got something else up our sleeves and we figured you'd want to participate. Seeing as you're the one they've been victimizing."

"And, it would be your first real Slytherin caper." Theo enticed, giving Hermione a quick wink.

"It sounds as if I'm in for a very good time." She commented. "Care to share the details with me?"

"Not here." Aster whispered. "They're too many ears."

"Meet us in the Room of Requirement after classes." Draco ordered. "And make sure Weasley and Potter aren't following you."

"We had a row," Hermione frowned, "So I don't think I need to worry about that."

"Are you alright?" Theo asked, chewing his bottom lip.

"What happened?" Draco pestered.

"The entire table turned on me." Hermione hissed. "That's what happened."

"What'd they say?" Draco growled, looking ready to take on the entire table of lions himself.

"They made it abundantly clear that they don't approve of my new personality and appearance."

"They're jealous." Aster shrugged. "And their cross. Upset that they don't have someone to pick on anymore."

"And that's not your problem," Astoria said firmly, "It's theirs."


	62. Chapter 62

Hermione was relieved when classes finally let out for the day, eager to spend some time unwinding as today had been nothing but troublesome at best. Because if the debacle at lunch hadn't been awful enough, her next couple of classes had been nothing short of a nightmare as the Gryffindor's had made quick work of turning the rest of the houses against her. The only allies Hermione had now was half the Slytherins. And while it was better than nothing, she couldn't spend much time with the snakes that liked her without being around those that didn't.

It was only now, when she was set to arrive at the Room of Requirement, could she relax without fear of being hexed from behind. And while she'd have loved to run to her room and cry her eyes out, she figured her time would be better spent working out a plot to avenge herself and her father. It would certainly make her feel better at the very least.

So slinking as stealthily as she'd been taught to do, she made her way through the school and arrived at the needed corridor. As inconspicuously as she could manage, she paced down the length of the hall thrice before hurrying inside the room as soon as a wooden door appeared.

Blinking rapidly to adjust her eyes to the darker atmosphere of the room, she padded across the hard wooden floorboards to seat herself on a sofa currently being occupied by Aster and Astoria. Settling in betwixt the beautiful girls, she stared across the room to where Theo and Draco sat- smooshed close together in a large love seat.

"What the hell took you so long?" Aster demanded, staring into a compact as she replied her mascara.

"I had a quick question for McGonagall about our homework." Hermione explained, staring around the cozy living room that the Room of Requirement had supplied.

"Some things never change, do they?" Draco teased, rolling his mercury-colored eyes.

"Why change the things that are good?" Theo murmured, flicking his head to remove the lengthy black hair away from his startling dark, blue eyes.

"Speaking of things that are good," Aster spoke, "Let's fill Hermione in on our plan."

"Please do." Hermione smiled. "I need something to take my mind off today."

"What's the one thing Pansy, Tracey, Lavender, and Parvatti all have in common?" Astoria quizzed, stretching a bit as she yawned afterward.

"They're all bints?" Hermione questioned, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yes," Draco nodded, "But we were thinking something more along the lines of they're all vain."

"Even though Pansy shouldn't be." Aster laughed. "Not with that face of hers."

"So…I assume we're going to use their vanity against them. But how?" She asked, once all the snickering at Aster's comments had died down.

"Easy," Aster droned, "We take away their source of 'beauty' with a few handy potions."

"Which potions?" Hermione wondered aloud, watching as Aster reached into a side pocket of her purse.

"These." She smirked, wriggling two vials of potion in front of her face.

Hermione grinned at the sight of the yellow and silver potions, her inner mischief kicking into overdrive as she imagined all the things she could do with the wrinkle inducer and weight increaser.

"But how are we going to trick them into taking them? They're not stupid enough to accept any 'gifts' we might offer them, especially not now."

"Theo's actually quite chummy with the majority of the house elves." Draco explained, jerking his chin at the tall boy. "And they've agreed to allow him to lace their goblets as they 'look the other way.'"

"Come supper, those four will be nothing but fat, wrinkly hags." Astoria smirked. "And better yet, an antidote for such a potion combination takes a week to make."

"You're friendly with the house elves?" Hermione asked, staring in awe at Theo.

"Yes." He nodded, his luxurious locks glistening with the movement. "I've been teaching them to read and to speak proper English….Granted they've taken more easily to learning to read."

"That's amazing." Hermione gushed. "It's my dream to better their lives!"

"I just don't think slavery is acceptable, especially when the victims involved are so incredibly selfless."

"And you all support him?" Hermione asked, amazed.

"My house elf Canker is the only reason I'm alive." Aster shrugged. "My parents sure as hell can't be bothered to take of me themselves."

"The only affection I ever received before I attended Hogwarts was from Rue. She's been more of a mother to me than my biological one."

"What about you, Draco?" Hermione questioned.

"At first I didn't agree, but I still supported Theo when everyone tried to gang up on him."

"And now?" Hermione badgered.

"Ever since Dobby was freed I've been able to appreciate everything house elves do for a family." Draco sighed, frowning slightly. "They spend their lives raising their master's children, and they get nothing in return."

"Do you miss Dobby?"

"Maybe a bit." Draco admitted, sounding as if he missed the elf a whole lot more than he was letting on. "I didn't really get a chance to say goodbye."

"He works in the kitchens now, let's go see him!" Theo suggested.

"No." Draco sighed. "I doubt he'd even want to see me."

"Yes he does." Theo insisted. "He asks about you all the time."

"What?" Draco exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something?"

"You told me never to mention his name to you." Theo said calmly, having yet to reveal any real signs of anger.

"Let's go see him!" Hermione insisted. "It'll be fun!"


	63. Chapter 63

Hermione trailed behind the trio in front of her, content to walk side by side with Theo as Draco and Astoria walked side by side in front of her, Aster goading the couple forward every time it appeared they might halt their progress with an impromptu make out session.

"Why do you keep stealing glances at me, Hermione?" Theo whispered, looking down at her with a soft smile splaying across his angular face.

"I'm sorry." She breathed, suddenly feeling light-headed.

"Don't be." He grinned. "As long as I can return the favor, I don't mind."

"You think it a privilege to look at me?" She blushed.

"Not just to look at you but to talk with you, too."

Hermione felt her head swim, as she was almost certain she'd float away from the sheer amounts of glee and excitement coursing through her hormone-filled veins. How could such a tall, quiet, handsome boy, with amazing hair, do such things to her? It was like she was under the control of a powerful, beautiful spell…an enchantment she never wanted to end.

"You're sweet." She praised, looking down at her shoes in a fit of shyness.

"You're lovely."

"Theodore."

He stopped then, in the midst of the corridor, and she halted alongside her.

"Hermione."

He breathed the word, staring down into her eyes with a gentle intensity that had her going weak in the knees. Returning the gaze, she bit back a whimper as he lifted an incredibly soft hand to rest against her cheek. This was so unreal. Moments like this were not reserved for her. But there she was. Lost in the magic as she stared into the dark eyes, and as she rested a hand atop the larger one caressing her cheek.

"I hate to be that guy," Draco said loudly, "But Severus will kill you if you kiss her when you're not courting. And I don't want to lose my best mate."

"Draco!" Hermione huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Let it be, Hermione." Theodore sighed. "He's right."

"Don't give me that look, 'Mione!" Draco protested. "All I did was save your arses from Severus's wrath."

"You couldn't have just looked away?" She mumbled, beneath her breath, as they continued their trek to the kitchens.

"Don't worry," The whispered, "We'll get some alone time in Hogsmeade this weekend."

Hermione could feel the exact second her face colored, and she hastily looked away from the gentle navy eyes- overwhelmed once more by his charm and sweetness. How the hell could he be doing this to her? Her, who was always so in control. It made no sense. And yet, for the first time in her life, she didn't care that there was no logical answer.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco swallowed, hesitating minutely in front of the portrait that concealed the kitchens. He wasn't sure he wanted to enter, for fear that Dobby would spurn him. And that would simply hurt far too much. Because Dobby had been his primary caregiver for the majority of his life. Comforting him whenever his parents weren't around to do so. Sneaking him sweets and desserts, even after his parents had taken away that privilege as punishment.

"Draco," Hermione's arm came to rest atop his shoulder, "Dobby will still love you. He has an amazing heart."

"But maybe I don't deserve his forgiveness." Draco sighed. "He gave and gave and gave, and my parents rewarded him with cruelty. I didn't do anything to stop it, either."

"Everyone deserves forgiveness." Hermione said firmly. "And your parents have changed. They aren't who they used to be. And neither are you."

"But-"

"Draco," She squeezed his shoulder, "You were young. Nothing you could have done would've changed your parent's minds."

"But it must've broken Dobby's heart to be freed so suddenly." Draco frowned.

"But it wasn't you who did it." Astoria soothed, touching his free shoulder. "And it wasn't even really your father either. Potter was the one who tricked him into freeing Dobby."

"But Theo says Dobby is extremely happy." Draco sighed. "So he can't possibly be missing me that much to begin with."

"Don't be an idiot." Aster murmured. "Theo already said he did. And we're already here, so we're not turning around."

"Aster!" Hermione scolded. "Would it kill you to show a little sensitivity?"

"Probably." Aster smirked. "My body wouldn't know how to process such a thing, and I'd likely go into cardiac arrest."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really?"

"Slytherins don't do sensitivity." Draco tutored. "Get used to it."

"You're the one afraid to go into the kitchen." Hermione taunted, shoving him forward.

"Am not, you harpy."

"Than prove it." Aster goaded. "Get inside. I'm starving."

"You're always hungry." Hermione laughed, ticking the pear on the portrait.

"As long as I don't get fat, it isn't a problem." Aster retorted, climbing through the portrait hole.

"Do Slytherins ever get fat?" Hermione wondered, scurrying in after the blonde.

"Not very often." Astoria replied. "But Severus did say that our old head of house was obese."

"Really?" Hermione continued.

"Really. Severus said he could barely fit through the doorways."

Theo explained, stepping into the kitchens before pulling Draco in by his sleeves after him.

"How can anyone let themselves go like that?" Aster shuddered.

"I think I'd cry if I got bigger than a size four." Astoria added, grabbing hold of Draco's hand.

"I'd love you regardless, no matter what." Draco murmured, pulling her close to kiss her cheek.

Draco didn't get a chance to hear whatever comment she'd replied with, for as soon as the house elves noticed they had arrived they kitchen exploded with excited conversation as the house elves bounced up and down on their feet with unrestrained energy.

"We's got guests!"

"It's Master Theo!"

"Master Theo?"

"He is bringing guests!"

"Who?!"

"Master Draco and Mistresses Hermione, Astoria and Aster!"

"Master Theo's is bringing his friends!"

"We must gets them food! And drinks!"

"Cake!"

"Pie!"

"Tarts!"

"Everyone. Everyone! EVERYONE!"

Theo finally raised his voice after several attempts to gain the rambunctious house elves attention with mere calm words. When finally the last hopping house elf had stopped squawking out suggestions and squeaking out greetings, Theo grinned widely and kneeled.

"Hello, everybody." Theo grinned. "I've brought some friends. We just had lunch, but Aster is hungry. And I'm sure Hermione, Astoria, and I could use a snack, too."

"What about Master Draco?"

"Is he being hungry?"

"Is he sick? Why does he not eat?"

"What is you wanting to eat?"

"Everyone!" Theo yelled. "Calm down, please. We'll eat whatever you have."

"But what about Master Draco?"

"He would actually like to speak with Dobby first, alone. If that's alright."

"Master Draco is wanting to speak with Dobby?" A familiar croak sounded.

Draco didn't even have time to voice his agreement with the statement before Dobby had thrown his lengthy arms around his legs, weeping loudly as he buried his face into Draco's robes. He stood stupidly, hardly believing his luck. Dobby had missed him. And from the looks of it, Dobby had missed him a lot. Just as much as Draco had missed him.

Grinning like a fool, he dropped to his knees, pulling the hysterical house elf into his arms with considerable effort as Dobby had clung very tightly to his legs. And when Dobby finally realized what was happening, he bawled louder and threw his arms about Draco's neck, hiding his face in Draco's shoulder.

"Dobby has been missing Master Draco." Dobby hollered. "He was beginning to think he'd never see his little Dragon again! Only you is not so little anymore, is you?"

"I thought you'd be angry." Draco explained, his voice raspy for some unexplainable reason.

"Dobby can never be angry at Master Draco!" Dobby asserted, shaking his head wildly. "Never, never, never, never, never!"

"Draco…just Draco." He said firmly, squeezing the elf tightly.

"You is too kind! Too kind to Dobby!"

"No, you're too kind." Draco insisted. "I'm sorry Dobby. And so are my parents. We'd never do anything like that to you again. We've changed."

"Theo was telling Dobby that. And Dobby cried for days and days because he was so happy to hear that!"

"I'm sorry." Draco repeated, his throat suddenly tight.

"No needs to be, Draco," Dobby said, smiling as he used his first name without the master being attached to it, "Draco was a good boy, Draco is a good boy."

"You…you still want to spend time with me?"

"It is all Dobby was wanting! Dobby would be so happy if you would come by with Theo! And you can brining as many friends as you wants! As long as they is nice!"

"I love you Dobby." Draco whispered, overcome with emotion.

"And Dobby loves you." Dobby promised. "He always has."


	64. Chapter 64

Severus looked up from the newspaper he was reading as Hermione finally let herself into the apartment, seconds before supper was set to begin. Greatly relieved that she had arrived to take supper at home, like he had suspected she would, he smiled at her- pleased to see that his hours of slaving in the cramped kitchenette wouldn't be going to waste.

"How was your day, Cherub?" Severus asked, setting the paper aside. "You're in for a treat. I've had a roast cooking all day. And I made your favorite- chocolate soufflé."

"Today was fine." Hermione shrugged, not wanting to get into detail.

"Just 'fine?'" Severus questioned, sensing the hesitation in her voice.

"It was wonderful and terrible." Hermione elaborated, plopping down unto the sofa.

"Oh?" Severus asked, raising a brow at his daughter.

"Yeah." Hermione sighed, smiling for a moment and then frowning immediately after.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Severus pestered. "What was terrible about today?"

"The rest of the houses turned on me," Hermione sulked, "They said I wasn't Gryffindor enough anymore."

"Surely your friends remained by your side." Severus drawled, already knowing that he was incorrect.

"No, they didn't." She scowled. "Ron threw a large fit because I'm going to Hogsmeade with Theo, and Harry lost his temper when I informed him Slytherins also suffer during this war."

"That's why you were sitting at the Slytherin table?

"It's not like I had anywhere else to sit." She lamented. "The other houses turned on me, too."

"I'm sorry, Cherub." Severus sympathized. "But at least now you know who your real friends are."

"Yeah," She sighed, "And today wasn't completely terrible, anyways."

"Tell me about the 'wonderful' part of your day, now." Severus coaxed. "Let's get that smile back on your face."

Hermione's face instantly flooded with color as he eyes filled with bliss, and Severus smirked as she hugged her arms across her chest tightly. Great. His little Cherub was completely head over heels in love. His only relief came from knowing that the objects of her affection was likely somebody he approved of.

"Am I correct in assuming you've spent the day with Theo in your company?"

Her blush deepened as she grinned like a madwoman, and Severus shook his head. Because while his first reaction was to lock her up until she was twenty-six, he couldn't deprive his daughter of the joys of first love. A first love that would hopefully be her last, as he'd have to kill whichever foolish bastard dared to break her heart. Granted if she did the heartbreaking, it would be a completely different story.

"Maybeeeeeee…" She giggled, clutching at her heart.

"Just remember you're a lady, Hermione." Severus lectured. "If he makes one wrong move and I want you to secumsemptra him where it hurts."

"Daddy, Theo is a gentleman." Hermione reminded, without heat.

"I know." Severus assured. "But even the best-behaved of gentlemen can become a bit randy should the mood strike them whilst they're with a particularly pretty girl."

"Like you when you're around Clover?" Hermione teased, smirking quite evilly.

"You behave." Severus chastised with a smirk. "And speaking of Clover, she's actually sneaking in to join us for supper."

"Just remember to be a gentleman, Dad." Hermione mocked. "Slytherin manners, remember."

"Quiet, you." Severus scolded. "Go wash up, supper is almost ready and Clover should be here soon."


	65. Chapter 65

To say that Severus was slightly nervous was a vast understatement. To say he was completely on edge would be much more accurate. Clover was set to arrive at any moment, and while everything was perfect down to the last detail, he was feeling quite nauseous. A fact Hermione must have picked up on, as she didn't even complain when he'd asked her to straighten the silverware for the fifth time that evening.

"Dad, would you sit down!" Hermione snapped. "You're going to put holes in the floorboards if you keep pacing like that."

"Right." Severus agreed, slipping down into a chair at the dinner table.

"Maybe you should take a calming draught." Hermione suggested, shooing her from off the table.

"I'm fine." Severus assured, fiddling with a fork. "Really. I'm fine."

"If you say so." Hermione placated, grabbing his fork and resettling in its correct position.

"Quiet you." Severus said softly, fighting the urge to grab up his fork again.

Meowwwwwwwwww! Crookshanks commented, staring into the kitchen from his new perch atop the sofa.

"You too, Crookshanks." Severus scolded.

For an absurd moment, Severus thought the cat looked prepared to argue his point further- like he always did when he had a grievance or opinion to be shared with his human counterparts. But just as the beasts orange eyes began to narrow in disapproval of the chastisement, a singly, harried knock sounded on the door to his apartment and Clover had let herself in.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, it took forever to sneak past Filtch tonight."

"Why didn't you just floo?" Hermione piped up, as Severus walked over to Clover and wrapped her in a hug.

"My floo isn't connected to Severus's." Clover explained, kissing Severus's cheek.

"Why couldn't you have flood to Lucius's and Narcissa's and the flood here from there?" Hermione continued.

"Are you kidding me?" Clover scoffed. "And deal with all that dust? No thanks."

"You could be covered dirt and still be beautiful." Hermione praised, grinning as Severus helped Clover out of her cloak.

"Coincidentally, as an apothecary brewer, she is often covered in dirt." Severus grinned.

"Amongst other fouler things." Clover smirked, shaking the chill from her bones.

"It comes with the job." Severus nodded, escorting her to her seat at the table.

"You own your own apothecary?" Hermione asked, starting a polite line of conversation.

"Well…it's a bit more complicated than that." Clover hesitated, resting her hand atop Severus's knee beneath the table as Hermione began to dish out food.

"So explain." Hermione replied. "I'm a clever girl, I'll understand."

"During the school year I sell the potions I brew from a shed in Severus's summer house. I also sell the ones he sends over. And when he comes home, we run that little business together."

"Why don't you open your own store?" Hermione asked.

"People aren't so eager to allow a Slytherin to own property in Hogsmeade." Severus explained. "Especially not now."

"When we go home for the summer can I help out with the apothecary?"

"Of course you can." Severus agreed. "You'll be a great help."

"And I could always use another girl to keep me company." Clover added. "I don't have very many girl friends to gossip with."

"Why not?"

"If you haven't figured it out yet," Clover smirked, "Girls tend to be a lot bitchier and drama-ridden than their male counterparts."

"I'd certainly say so." Hermione agreed, stabbing at her roast rather aggressively.

"Speaking of bitches," Clover droned, "Whatever did you do to repay those nasty girls?"

"Let's just say they should be much fatter and wrinkled than when they started out this morning."

"Just make sure you don't get caught." Severus warned, tearing his gaze away from Clover's lip to give his daughter a warning glance.

"Don't worry, Dad. I had help." She assured, smiling down at her plate.

"What's this," Clover smirked, "Has Hermione been visited by the monster Purbertus?"

"I should think so." Severus said quietly. "I think she's quite smitten with Theo."

"He's got fantastic hair." Hermione gushed. "And his eyes are gorgeous."

"And what about his hands, are they so very soft?" Clover quizzed, showing brilliantly white teeth as she grinned.

"Very." Hermione breathed, closing her eyes for a brief moment before she opened them up again.

Severus allowed himself a slight smile, pleased to see that Hermione and Clover were getting on so well. Hermione needed a motherly figure after all, and while Narcissa played that part well, it was still a bit different. Even if things didn't work out with him and Clover romantically they'd still be close friends, and Hermione would still have her mother figure. And Clover would have that daughter she'd always wanted, at least in a sense.

"Just be sure you're careful." Clover warned. "It may not seem like it, but pretty girls can still get hurt."

"I'll me careful, Clover." Hermione vowed. "Don't worry."

"Severus and I can't help but to worry." Clover said softly. "You're a wonderful girl, we'd hate to see something awful happen to you."


	66. Chapter 66

It was Friday afternoon before Severus saw Harry again, and he was almost certain that the only reason the Gryffindor had shown up was because of his Occlumency lesson being scheduled for that day.

"Harry, come in." Severus ushered, realizing just how badly he'd missed the child.

"Can…can we talk before we start?" Harry asked nervously, shuffling his feet.

"Of course," Severus nodded, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze, "It'll give me a chance to show you to your room."

"My room?" Harry asked, furrowing his brows.

"I was going to show you Tuesday, but it appears you've been avoiding me."

Severus answered, steering the boy toward the door to the room Lucius had just put in earlier that week. Not that Severus couldn't have done such work himself. It was just that he found his elder brother had more of a knack for architecture. In fact, Severus's only contribution to this endeavor had been to allow it, as Narcissa had happily taken over decorating the interior.

"I haven't been avoiding you," Harry mumbled, "I just didn't think I was allowed over because of the row I had with Hermione."

"Harry, look at me." Severus ordered.

When the boy hesitated for a painfully long moment, Severus gently placed a hand beneath his chin and lifted the boy's head. He waited patiently to speak until the emerald eyes met his own.

"You've been coming over here for quite a while haven't you?" Severus drilled.

"Yes, sir." Harry mumbled, looking down.

"And I like to think we've become close. What do you think about that?"

"I think we we're close, yes." Harry agreed, nodding slightly.

"Then why would you think you weren't allowed to come around, just because you had a row with Hermione?" Severus chastised softly. "Do you think Molly and Arthur would keep you from the Burrow if you had a fight with Ron?"

Harry chewed on his bottom lip nervously, reverting to childlike behavior like he often did when he felt particularly stressed, tired, or trapped. Not wanting to push the teen to speak before he was ready, Severus allowed him a few moments to reflect on his feelings and to think on what he might like to say. But when a whole five minutes had gone by without a singly syllable being uttered, Severus decided to continue.

"I'd like a verbal answer, Harry."

"No, but-"

"No buts, Harry." Severus said sternly. "I care for you as much as Molly does now. And that means you are always welcome here."

"Always?" Harry asked shyly.

"Always." Severus confirmed. "Now let's go check out your room."

"You didn't have to make me a room." Harry blushed, looking a bit guilty.

"I wanted to." Severus assured. "And it was hardly any trouble. We did it the same time we put in Draco's room."

"Draco has a room now, too?" Harry asked, looking amazed.

"Well we certainly couldn't have you two sharing, could we? You'd end up killing each other." Severus teased, pushing the door open.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harry stared at the sight in front of him, hardly daring to believe he'd been willingly given a room of his own. And not only that, but from Severus. A man who had, just months ago, hated him. It was all too much, he was overwhelmed. Especially considering the fact that he had been happy just to be allowed to spend time with the man.

"What do you think, Harry?" Severus asked, standing behind him. "If you don't think something we can change it easily."

"No!" Harry said quickly. "It's perfect."

And he wasn't lying either. He loved this room, and he spend a very long time taking in every detail. The walls had been painted a very dark blue, his favorite color, and the carpet was a complementary shade of black as well as being extremely soft. Off to the left a decent-sized closet sat, eliminating the need for a dresser. Of to the right side of the room a desk sat pushed against a wall, a small owl perch settled beside it. But perhaps best of all was the bed; king-sized with slightly lighter blue bedding and overflowing with pillows that looked wondrously soft- Witherwings resting peacefully atop the mound. And finally, to the left of the bed stood a fat nightstand, with a peculiar glowing Dragon nestled atop it.

"What's that sir?" Harry asked, pointing at the emerald dragon with ruby eyes that gave off a bright glow.

"It's your Christmas gift, Harry. I haven't had the chance to give it to you." Severus explained. "It's a nightlight. It'll glow as brightly as you want it too, and not one bit less or one bit more."

Harry colored slightly, embarrassed that he was fourteen and still needed a nightlight and mortified that Severus had already figured that out. He was too big for such childish need, but he really did love the gift.

"Thank you," He said softly, "I love it."

"Harry, it's okay to be afraid of the dark." Severus promised. "My parents used to look me in trunks when they got upset. And because of it, I was afraid of the dark for quite a while."

"You didn't tell anyone about me being afraid of the dark, did you?" Harry asked, slightly nervous to hear the answer.

"Of course not, Harry." Severus soothed. "Anybody would think it's just a lamp, nothing more."

"Thank you." Harry repeated, sucking in a deep breath before he wrapped his arms around Severus's waist.

Harry braced himself, ready for a smack to land across the backside of his head. But none came. Severus might have tensed up at first at the contact, but he quickly recovered, so fast Harry almost didn't catch it.

"Now, now, there isn't any need to get so sentimental." Severus chided softly, ruffling his hair. "What'd you want to talk about, now?"

"I was wondering if you'd talk to Hermione for me…" Harry trailed off, staring down at his carpet. "I wasn't very nice to her…neither was Ron. And we're both very sorry."

"You're the one who needs to apologize to her."

"She's angry." Harry frowned, feeling enormously guilty.

"She is." Severus agreed. "But I'm sure if you talk with her and apologize properly you two will be able to put this behind you."

"What if she doesn't?" Harry fretted.

"Then I will talk to her." Severus promised. "Because I can tell that you're very sorry."

"Thank you." Harry breathed, finally releasing him from the hug.

"Now, do you want to talk with her now or after our lesson?" Severus asked.

"After." Harry decided, wanting to have a good memory for the night just in case Hermione didn't forgive him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus yawned and stretched, glancing at the clock on Harry's wall from his perch atop the boy's new bed. 11:45, it was getting late. And clearly Harry was getting worn out; the poor boy was slumped across his mountain of pillows with his eyes half-closed. Which was perfectly understandable. Occlumency was a tiring art to learn, and Harry's youthfulness did little to help.

"Alright, Harry. That's enough for tonight," Severus declared, "You did a great job."

"Really?" Harry yawned, rubbing at his eyes.

"That's what I said." Severus drawled. "Now go and talk to Hermione, I'll be in the tub."

Severus didn't give Harry time to argue with his orders, he left the room before the teenager could get a word in edgewise. So leaving the nervous-looking Gryffindor behind, Severus made his way to the bathroom- relieved to see that it was not being hogged up by Hermione at the moment.

Turning on the taps to full blast, he threw in a bucket load of soothing bath salts along with several bath potions designed to relive him of the horrid aches and pains that plagued his weary body. Pain made only worse as he'd only just had a disastrous meeting with Voldemort the night before.

Intending to stay inside the water for as long as he could, he grabbed up his book and cast a quick anti-water spell on its entirety and leaned down into the steaming water until only the top half of his head showed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Nearly two hours later Severus emerged, thoroughly relaxed, calm, and ready for a good night's rest. Dressed in his favorite pajamas, the emerald silk ones Narcissa had made him, he padded across his apartment into Harry's room to check up on him.

It being only one-thirty on a Friday, Potter was still awake and pouring over the book on Occlumency Severus had lent him a few weeks ago. Half-asleep, Potter sprawled out awkwardly atop the blankets, the book nearly slipping from his hands as his eyes opened and shut in decreasing frequency.

"Alright, Harry." Severus smirked, walking over to remove the book from his hands. "Time for bed."

"But it's a weekend!" Harry protested hotly. "We only have to go to bed at 12:30 on the weekdays."

"You don't raise your voice to me in that manner, Harry." Severus warned, seating himself on the bed. "Come on now, get under the blankets. Tell me how your talk went with Hermione."

"It's early." Harry yawned. "I don't want to go to bed yet."

"I'm tucking in early, too, Harry." Severus soothed.

"I'm not you." Harry grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Get under the blankets, Harry." Severus warned. "One, Two, Th-"

Thankfully Hermione had warned Harry what would happen if Severus reached three, because the petulant teen quickly scurried beneath the comforter and placed his glasses on the bedside table.

"Get that look off you face," Severus smirked, "Would you like me to read you to for a bit, or no?"

For a moment all Harry did was glower, but when Severus made a move to leave, the teenager quickly grabbed his much-loved book of Quidditch from the bedside table and pushed it into Severus's hand.

"Thank you." Harry muttered, grabbing Witherwings into his arms.

Severus nodded in acknowledgement at the appreciation and began to read from the book. But when after ten minutes it became obvious Harry was going to fall asleep any second, he turned out the lights. Instantaneously the nightlight sprang to life, illuminating the room with as much light as Harry needed at the moment.

"Good night, Harry." Severus said softly, ruffling his hair.

"Night, Severus." Harry yawned, too tired to open his eyes. "Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, Harry."


	67. Chapter 67

Friday morning proved to be dreary, frigid, and all together miserable. The wind howled, and the air bit with an angry vengeance. And to top it all off, History of Magic that morning was nothing but a waste of time as Professor Binns had decided not to move unto a new chapter and rather chose to repeat the same lesson from last week as the majority of the class has failed the quiz he'd given on said subject last week.

Too say the least it was wasted effort on the ghost's part. The Yule Ball was set to be held this weekend and not a single student had made any effort at all to concentrate in a single class that Friday. Even Hermione had given in to the excitement, allowing herself to zone out as she thought of the fun she'd be having at the ball. Thankfully she now knew what to expect, having spent enough time around the Malfoy's and Slytherins. She was completely prepared for the festivities; the only worry she had being that off the schools reaction when the rest of them figured out she'd be accompanying Viktor. Surely such news would bring about another slew of rumors to deal with.

She was just lamenting the fact that Lavender, Parvatti, Pansy, and Tracey had been cured of their potion-induced problems, when a folded sheet of parchment fluttered down in front of her. Twitching slightly in anticipation of being read, the folded note seemed almost alive and sentient. Plucking the square from the table, she instantly recognized the familiar, tiny cursive letters that spelled out her name in sparkling, silver ink. It was a note from Aster.

Meet me in the abandoned dungeon bathroom in three minutes.

Hermione furrowed her brow, confused. Because while she had been spending a lot of time with Aster lately, it had always been as part of a group. She wasn't even certain they could be considered anything but acquaintances at best. But maybe Aster actually did consider them mates and was just too much a stoic and unemotional Slytherin to make such a fact clear. Why else would she be requesting such a meeting?

Turning around at her seat she looked past the crowd of dozing students toward the back where the Slytherins sat. Locating Aster proved easy, as she was one of the few students awake. And if that didn't make her obvious enough the fact that she was occupying her by tossing jelly beans into the hair of sleeping students and down the backs of their robes, certainly did wonders to draw attention to herself. It was just fortunate for Aster that Professor Binns was one of the most oblivious men alive.

Smiling when the purple eyes finally met hers, she gave Aster a brief nod to indicate her agreement to meet up for their little rendezvous. The only acknowledgement she got in reply was a rotten-egg-flavored jelly bean being lobbed down the front of her robes. And having lodged itself firmly within her brassiere, she couldn't reach in and remove it.

Scowling, Hermione searched around for something she could use as ammunition to return the favor. Spotting a sugar quill resting in the sleeping Ron's slack grip, Hermione removed the sweet and snapped a bit off its top before chunking it Aster's head. Missing horridly, the sugary bit landed in the wide opened mouth of the snoring Goyle.

Stifling back her laughs as Goyle remained oblivious, Hermione took advantage of the distraction and lobbed a larger bit of Ron's quill at Aster- catching the silently laughing Slytherin on her perfectly straight nose. Giving a slight start, Aster narrowed her eyes and Hermione gulped. That was never a good sign. It meant Aster was steeled for war.

And that was just what she delivered. With the precision and speed only a full-blooded Slytherin could deliver, Aster hurled a vomit-flavored bean directly at Hermione- catching her fully in her left eye with alarming force.

"My eye!" Hermione hollered, startling several students awake.

"Ms. Granger- is there a problem?"

Professor Binns huffed, staring at Hermione along with the rest of the class, as she clutched at her watering eye.

"Something flew into my eye…" She groaned, smacking the jelly bean off her desk.

"Do you require use of the bathroom?" Binns droned, looking unamused as the class sniggered.

"If I may be excused?" Hermione said sheepishly, plotting up all manners of horrid revenge for Aster.

"You may." Binns dismissed.

"I'll go with her!" Aster piped up. "I saw a pretty large moth fly into her eye- she might need help."

"Go- both of you." Binns drawled. "Now." He added, pointing toward the door.

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"I throw a quill at your nose and you almost blind me?" Hermione ranted, holding unto her eye as she waited for the stinging to abate.

"You should know by now that Slytherin's tend to take things too far."

Aster shrugged, reapplying her bold red lipstick in the horridly cracked, grimy mirrors above the stained, non-functioning sinks.

Hermione simply rolled her one good before she turned away from Aster to stare around the bathroom in minor disgust. It was hardly any wonder no one but the Slytherins knew it existed, what with it having a concealed entrance just like the Room of Requirements. And it was even easier to understand why barely any of the Slytherins frequented it; it was filthy and not fit for an animal to use.

The floors were absolutely horrid, caked in layered dirt so thick Hermione wasn't entirely sure it was anything but dirt. The walls were smeared with grime as well, along with a whole slew of colorful graffiti and the occasional smear of makeup. Though Hermione had no idea why anyone in their right mind would willing touch any part of their bodies to such filth. And if that weren't awful enough there were only chamber pots resting within the stalls- only one of which remained un-cracked and useable.

"What was so important that you had to drag me here to this hovel, anyways?"

"We're skiving class." Aster said nonchalantly. "Astoria and the boys will be here any minute."

"What?" Hermione gasped. "We can't just-"

"It's History of Magic, Hermione." Aster scoffed. "Binns will never notice."

"But we're missing class!" Hermione protested.

"A class where we were listening to material we already learned."

"But what about Astoria? She should be in DADA. Professor Moody-"

"Moody is mental." Aster shrugged. "He's not going to notice if Astoria never comes back. Not with all the voices in his head that I'm sure he's dealing with."

"Aster!" Hermione scolded lightly. "What are we all going to be doing, anyways?"

Aster grinned evilly. "We're initiating you, officially."

"And I don't really have a say in this, do I?" Hermione sighed.

"Not really." Aster shrugged, running a brush through her luscious waves of light blonde hair.

"As long as this 'initiation' doesn't involve ritual sacrifice, I'll allow it."

"Don't worry, ritual sacrifice is only reserved for the darkest of rituals."

"Darkest of rituals?" Hermione drilled. "Aster, is this a dark initiation?"

"Yes." She nodded. "But it's really more of a game to be honest."

"A game?" Hermione repeated. "Look- I understand that no magic is inherently evil, but-"

"Relax," Aster sighed, "You'll be fine. We're just going to have a harmless bit of fun, nothing more. You'll see. Just wait until everyone else gets here."

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"Summoning the monster from the chamber of secrets is the initiation?" Hermione asked dryly, leveling all four teenagers with an annoyed look.

"Yes." Astoria insisted. "And it's tradition. So don't disparage it."

"But the monster from the Chamber of Secrets was a basilisk, and Harry already killed it."

"You don't think Salazar would just put one basilisk down there, do you?" Aster patronized. "He was trying to breed those things, after all."

"But even if there is another basilisk down below- why the hell would you want to summon it? Being petrified isn't fun!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Stop mocking the ritual!" Draco exploded. "Don't make me tell Severus."

"Let's just start!" Theo suggested, breaking the tension.

"Fine," Aster agreed, "Did you bring the stuff, Draco?"

"Of course." Draco insisted, dumping out the contents of a bag he'd concealed beneath his robes.

Hermione shook her head, biting her lip to keep for pestering the group with questions. She'd already openly mocked their tradition, and she felt awfully for it. The least she could do was keep an open mind. So quietly she watched as Theo spread out the white sheet in the exact center of the room- right in front of the mirrors.

Once that was done, Aster and Astoria set about lining the edges of the white sheet with a pattern of lit emerald and silver candles. While they did so, Draco lined the tops of the sinks with the same manner of a pattern.

"Alright, it's time to get the cauldron ready." Theo declared, placing a horridly rusted cauldron in the center of the sheet. "Get over here, 'Mione."

"Sit there." Aster specified, pointing at the spot directly in front of the cauldron and mirrors.

Hermione obeyed, seating herself as she'd been ordered. To her left sat Draco, holding hands with Astoria who on his left. To her right sat Theo, Aster sitting to his right. In a semi-circle they were arranged, leaving the area in front of the mirror wide open.

"Alright, we each need to place a bit of blood inside an ancient cauldron that belonged to a pureblood." Aster explained.

"How much?" Hermione asked warily, nervously fidgeting.

"Relax, just a touch." Theo soothed.

"Fine." Hermione shrugged, being a former cutter. "Let's just begin."

"Get the lights." Theo murmured.

"Nox." Hermione whispered, plunging the bathroom into an eerie darkness that was only penetrated by the candlelight.

"Astoria will start, since she's on the far left."

Draco declared, passing his girlfriend an extremely, old-looking silver razor. Astoria accepted the antique barber's tool with a steady hand, pressing it over the creamy skin atop her left wrist.

"With the razor of our ancestors I, Astoria Hazel Greengrass, offer the blood of my people to Salazar's beasts." She said loudly and clearly, tearing her skin open to send a flood of blood into the cauldron.

Leaving her minor wound to bleed once the worst of the flood had stopped, Astoria passed the blade to her boyfriend her solemnly accepted it.

"With the razor of our ancestors I, Draco Scorpius Malfoy, offer the blood of my people to Salazar's beast."

Doing the same things Astoria had, Draco pressed the blade into Hermione's hand and gave her a reassuring nod at the same time Theo squeezed her shoulder.

"But, I'm not a-"

"Severus is your father now," Aster whispered, "You're fine. Your blood is our blood. Now hurry up- don't break the flow."

"With the razor of our ancestors I, Hermione Narcissa Snape, offer the blood of my people to Salazar's beast."

And with those words she slide the silver across her skin, refusing to flinch as she'd done far worse to herself on purpose. With detached fascination she watched the crimson flow to the cauldron below, and as her head swam from the strong cucumber scent the candles gave off, she passed the tool to Theo.

"With the razor of our ancestors I, Theodore Cantankerous Nott, offer the blood of my people to Salazar's beast."

The same actions were repeated by Theo as the windowless, vent-free bathroom clouded up with candle smoke.

"With the razor of our ancestors, I Aster Merope Burke, offer the blood of my people to Salazar's beast."


	68. Chapter 68

"What do we do now?"

Hermione breathed, slightly light-headed as the bathroom was now choked up with the green and gray smoke that emanated from the candles. With a finger to his lips, Theo silenced her, jerking his chin to draw Hermione's attention back to the mirrors.

"Hissy, hissy, little snake, slither across the floor. Come and visit all of us, else we'll nail you to the door." Aster chanted loudly, a strange glint in her eyes.

"Together now," Draco breathed, eyes closed, "Link hands and chant."

Hermione obeyed, grasping the hands of the two boys who sat beside her. Squeezing a bit tighter than necessary, she pressed her eyes shut, overcome by a wave of sudden anxiety. Something didn't feel right…the air felt dark…and sticky. But it was just a game, she could push onward. So licking her suddenly dry lips, she opened her mouth, joining in with the nearly harmonious chanting.

"Hissy, hissy, little snake, slither across the floor. Come and visit all of us, else we'll nail you to the door."

"HISSY, HISSY, LITLE SNAKE, SLITHER ACROSS THE FLOOR. COME AND VISIT ALL OF US, ELSE WE'LL NAIL YOU TO THE DOOR."

"HISSY, HISSY, LITTLE SNAKE, SLITHER ACROSS THE FLOOR. COME AND VISIT ALL US USE, ELSE WE'LL NAIL YOU TO THE DOOR!"

"Eyes open." Aster breathed. "Clothes off."

Hermione obeyed the command along with everyone else, feeling as though her actions were not being entirely done of her own free will. The hands that removed her clothing felt light and foreign, despite being connected to her shoulder.

"I feel ill." Astoria whispered, her face coated in a thick sheen of sweat.

"That's how we're supposed to feel." Aster droned, her eyes glassy.

"Not like this." Draco asserted, clutching his stomach.

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"We need to stop!"

Astoria sobbed, nearing hysteria as she began to imagine she had seen a flash of red come across Hermione, Draco and Theodore's eyes before the trio fell to their sides in an apparently enchanted slummer. Something had gone wrong along the way. What was meant to be a harmless little game along the lines of Blood Mary had turned sour, and Astoria legitimately began to fear that that they had accidentally invoked something nightmarish.

"We can't stop." Aster crooned. "We need to let them in."

"We need to let who in?" Astoria shook. "Let who in where?"

"They all want in." Aster hummed, her eyes flashing black. "We need to let them sleep."

"No, no!" Astoria insisted, quickly. "We need to wake them. We need to leave."

"We can't leave." Aster smirked. "We're already here."

"We?" Astoria choked at the sudden pronoun change. "Aster- what the hell!?"

"Shhh." Astoria breathed. "The beast you summoned has arrived."

"Aster-"

Astoria screamed loudly, backing away from the blonde girl when she noticed that the whites of her eyes were now just as black as her iris's- creating the horrid impression that Aster now only possessed two black holes instead of eyes.

"I am not Aster." She purred. "I am called Jezebel."

"Please…" Astoria stuttered, feeling faint… "This wasn't supposed to happen. We were only trying to summon the basilisks…" She sobbed, shivering in the chilly air.

"No…." Theo hissed, jerking upright in an unnatural manner. "You've summoned the beast from Salazar's house…and that is precisely what you've received."

"Please…" Astoria gulped, throat suddenly dry. "Tell me you're still Theo…"

"Silly girl, I already told you." Theo breathed. "I'm the beast you've summoned."

"I don't understand…" Astoria bawled, paralyzed from sheer terror.

"I," Theo laughed, in a voice not his own, "Am Lord Voldemort. The beast that hails from Slytherin."

Astoria could not help the horrified sound that escaped her mouth, nor could she halt the violent quivering that overtook her body without her consent. This was bad. So very, very bad. Because at best, it was a horrid demon playing games with them all. And at worst, it really was Voldemort.

"You…you were supposed to be a basilisk." Astoria whimpered.

"I'm much more a beast than any basilisk could possibly be." Voldemort rasped.

"We're all very sorry," Astoria groveled, "We didn't mean to summon you. I'm sure you're very busy."

"Indeed, I am," Voldemort growled, "But never you fear, young one. I've plans to ensure that the interruption you've caused me will not be for nothing."

"What…what do you mean?" Astoria whimpered.

"I live to torment Harry Potter," He hissed, "It will cause him much pain to know that he has lost an old friend."

"My Lord?" Astoria choked out, dread filling her insides with ice.

"I will kill Severus's daughter, and then I will take my leave."

Astoria closed her eyes, summoning up every ounce of courage she possessed to prepare and argue with the Dark Lord. The only comfort to be had coming from the knowledge that Voldemort's powers were extremely limited because he was only here in that room in spirit and not body. If it came down to it, and she sincerely hoped it wouldn't, she might be able to fend off Theo's body should the Dark Lord chose to attack.

"But Severus…Severus is a loyal follower." Astoria stammered. "He's been teaching us to walk in your way."

"Severus may be my favorite spy, child, but my mercy does not extend to his daughter. She is not of worthy blood, I do Severus a favor by ending her existence."

"She could be a useful follower!" Astoria insisted. "She's brilliant, really."

"Pleading for the life of a mudblood is beneath you, child." He scolded. "The death of this Gryffindor child has been planned from the very start. Severus and I were using her as a means to get to Potter…she has outlived her uselessness. I've returned to my full power, and Potter will soon be dead."

"But…if you kill her in Theo's body, he'll be given the dementor's kiss." Astoria argued softly. "He's the last Nott alive, you don't want to end the bloodline of such a pure family."

"I've already made my decision." Voldemort said cruelly, pointing a hand in her direction. "Stay!" He barked.

A horridly uncomfortable tingling filled her stomach as Voldemort cast the ancient and powerful dark magic, rooting her to the dirt floor with just that single command. Screaming as a burning sensation filled her veins before dissipating an agonizingly long time before it dissipated.

"That is your reward for trying to circumvent my will with your intolerable begging."

Astoria tried to speak, to scream, to beg, but her lips were forcibly sealed with magic. All she could do was watch in abject horror, rooted to the floor, as Voldemort glided over to the unconscious Hermione.

Kneeling to the floor, Voldemort leaned over Hermione's nude form and slowly ran a hand across the unmoving form. Stopping when his fingers rested atop her thigh, he stared down at her with a perverted gleam in his red eyes. For one painfully horrible moment, Astoria feared he might take advantage of her unconsciousness in a most disgusting way. Unfortunately, what he chose to do instead was far worse.

None to gently, he spread Hermione out flat on her back, crawling atop her still body. And as soon as he'd seated himself atop her body, Voldemort brought his hands up to Hermione's neck and wrapped the long fingers about her slender windpipe. With each second that passed, he increased the pressure, the sadistic smile on his face getting wider and wider the bluer Hermione's face became.

And all Astoria could do was watch, horrified, as the life was strangled out of her newest mate. She struggled as valiantly as she could against the invisible bounds that held her still, fought against the magic that made her mute, but all that effort was for naught. It simply exhausted her. Closing her eyes as tightly as she could manage, Astoria began to sob silently, cursing herself for having had a part in this summoning.

"Let her go, Tom. How dare you harm one of my own?!"

A newer voice filled the bathroom, and Astoria cracked her eyes opened. Scanning the bathroom, she spotted Draco. Rising to his feet, he strode confidently across the room, stopping to stand over Voldemort.

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"She is not one of us! She is not worthy of your intercession, Salazar."

Tom's grip lessoned, but still he argued on like a petulant child being told he'd lost privileges to his favorite toy or activity. With a deadly growl, Salazar strode forward, prepared to backhand the disrespectful orphan.

"That is professor Slytherin, to you." He snarled. "And I believe I told you to release that child."

"Don't you know what she is?!" Tom scoffed, still straddling the teenager.

"She is one of mine, and that is all that matters. Release her, now!" Salazar hollered, grabbing hold of one of Tom's ears.

"There is none who brings as much honor to you as me." Tom insisted. "She is not one of yours. I am!"

Salazar laughed coldly, smiling as the sound resonated within the once spectacular bathroom.

"It is you who has brought great dishonor unto my house. You've caused an awful stigma to befall the noble house of Slytherin. An unforgiveable offense!" Salazar tightened his hold on Tom's ear. "She is one my own. You are not. You're nothing but a blight on Slytherin house. I rue the day you were allowed to attend Hogwarts and I curse the day you were sorted into my house!"

"But I've been doing your work!" Tom protested, jumping off the girl's body to glare down at him. "How can you say such things?"

"My only desire was to keep the rich traditions of my house alive, and the bloodlines pure. I never actively sought out war and I never longed for the atrocity of genocide. I believed everyone could live peacefully, so all we all respected each other's customs." Salazar lectured. "But you've made it abundantly clear that you don't understand the ways of my people. Had you possessed even an inkling of such understanding, you'd have never committed such disgusting acts. What you've done was the demon's work, not mine own."

"I never knew you to be so weak," Tom scoffed, spitting at Salazar's feet. "It's now abundantly clear just how much I was needed. Without me, Slytherin house would slip into weakness and shame."

"Insolent child!" Salazar barked, backhanded Tom with enough force to send him flying across the room. "You'd do well to remember your place!"

Stalking across the floor to where Tom now lay in a heap, Salazar pulled him up by his hair and slammed him against the stone wall. Holding him tightly by the neck, Salazar utilized his ancient power and easily overpowered the weaker wizard. Sending a bit of electricity to run through Tom's veins, he retained his harsh grip on the younger man's neck, and laughed as he howled in agony. Tom might be a very powerful wizard indeed, but he was nothing compared to the powerful wizard that Salazar was.

"Please, don't hurt my boy."

Salazar still grasped Tom's neck viciously, but he halted the electric assault as he craned his neck to locate the newest speaker. In an ironic twist of fate it turned out that the newest spirit to join the room was now occupying the girl Tom has been assaulting. In an even crueler twist of fate, Salazar recognized her as Merope Gaunt. It was going to be a deliciously painful situation for Tom, and Salazar chuckled beneath his breath as he allowed the man to slink to the floor- spluttering and gasping for breath.

"Who…who are you!?" Tom rasped, rubbing at his throat. "Answer me at once!"

"Now, now, Tommy," Salazar patronized, "Is that any way to speak to your mother?"

Tom shook his head, scrambling to his feet as gracefully as he could despite the recent assaults that had been carried out against his body.

"That can't be my mother," Tom hissed, "She was weak! She wouldn't know how to pierce the veil!"

"Merope Gaunt was a brilliant woman, and I'll not have you besmirching her character. Had not such bleak misfortune befallen her, and had cruel fate not birthed her into a loveless home, she's have made a glorious name for herself."

"She was weak!" Tom hollered, attempting to cast a hex his way.

Salazar simply laughed and reflected the hex back unto the younger man, watching detachedly as Tom dropped to his knees and clutched at his stomach. With a flick of his wrist, Salazar increased the intensity of the pain.

"Please stop!" Merope begged. "He's so lost! Don't hurt him!"

Salazar obeyed the pleaded, having always been moved by a mother's selfless love. But when Tom immediately tried to retaliate, Salazar kicked his face and threw him to the ground with three easy maneuvers.

"Tommy, please, stop fighting!" Merope begged, dropping to her knees. "Lie still, Tommy!"

"I am Lord Voldemort!" Tom hollered, "And if they want their precious basilisk, they can have it!"

"Tommy, no!"

Salazar stood silently, baffled by Tom's stupidity. Surely he should have been able to realize that the tiny swarm of Basilisks still within the Chamber of Secrets would not willing to come to him, not when Salazar had ordered them to keep from answering the calls of the unworthy.

But foolish, and acting out in his rage, summon a basilisk was exactly what Tom did. Shouting an incantation that was almost undecipherable due to Tom's fury, he gestured furiously at the mirrors in front of him.

It took a few moments, but eventually the glowing red eye of a live basilisk appeared within the grime of the mirror, only to be replaced seconds later by a few seconds of nothingness. It was only then did the corpse of the basilisk come funneling out of the mirror, filling the cramped bathroom with its slightly decayed corpse.

Seeing that it nearly crushed the children inside the room, Salazar waved his hand and pushed it up against the wall, frowning at the travesty that was a dead basilisk.

"Merope, it's time we return home." Salazar declared. "And it's time Tom returned to his body."

"But I've barely had any time to spend with my boy!" Merope sobbed, hugging herself.

"I would not claim that monster as your child. He holds no love in his heart for you. He is capable only of rage and hate. Come now, there are plenty of lost boys back home that are surely missing you."

"I'm not leaving until I've killed the girl." Tom snarled.

Salazar simply narrowed his eyes in response, planting a hand harshly atop Tom's head. With sheer willpower, he sent the madman back to his mortal body, leaving the now empty vessel to slump down to the floor.

"Merope, come. He's gone now, I'm sorry."

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Hermione sat up from the bathroom floor, overcome as she was flooded with the memories of the things she'd observed and crying heavily as Merope's memories crowded into her head with amazing force. And clearly she wasn't the only one experiencing such an intense experience. And poor Astoria, she looked a wreck!

"Let's go!" Hermione coughed.

"We need to talk to Severus!"


	69. Chapter 69

Severus had been growing slightly concerned when suppertime rolled around and Hermione had yet to make an entrance. And when six-thirty rolled around without hide or hair of his young daughter, Severus had made the decision to search for. He had had a nasty sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach, and Molly, Lucius, and Narcissa had warned him to always take such a feeling seriously.

After all, Hermione and Severus always ate supper together- oftentimes with Harry and Draco joining them. And on the rare occasions Hermione chose to dine with her friends in the great hall, she always informed Severus- or at the very least left him or sent him a note informing him of such.

So he had slipped on his boots and made his way over to the living room door, only to be nearly smacked in the face as it swung inward on its own accord. Having stumbled backwards to avoid the blow, he nearly lost his balance once more as five screaming, naked, teenagers (the majority of them sobbing) had thrown themselves at him and wrapped their arms around whatever part of him they could fine.

It had taken nearly an hour and half to pry the bodies away from them, and it had taken even longer to convince the hysterical teenagers to dress themselves as they'd been very reluctantly to let Severus out of their sights. How immensely grateful Severus was that he had a daughter in his care and two boys under his wing as Hermione and Draco had been able to provide the other three with clothing.

So now that all five children were smooshed together on his sofa, Astoria heavily medicated with an extremely copious amount of calming draught, Severus sat across from them and decided to try and wrangle an intelligible response from them again now that they'd had plenty of time to calm themselves- with the aid, of course, of calming draught-laced hot chocolate.

"Okay, let's try again." Severus sighed, sipping his own cup of hot chocolate. "What the hell happened?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus held his head in his hands, trying to make sense of the story the teenagers had just recited and trying to formulate a plan on her to counter Voldemort's wrath. Because the Dark Lord would surely be livid with him that he'd been unable to finish off his daughter, a little fact that would likely have Severus writhing with pain at the next meeting. And that was only if the crazed man allowed him to escape with his life.

He shook his head, he needed Albus. Getting slowly to his feet, gut twisted up in anxiety, he decided to check on the children before he flooed the headmaster over. Padding quietly across the carpet he walked down the hall and stopped at Harry's room. Having left the door cracked open halfway like the boy always did when he spent the night, Severus was able to peek into the room and check on the boy without rousing the easily wakened child. Seeing that the boy was fine, and over his terror upon having heard of the ordeal Hermione had faced when he'd arrived a few hours later, he slumbered peacefully with the nightlight working at full power.

Leaving Harry's room behind, he shuffled down the hall a few feet to Draco's room. Opening the door as silently as he could, Severus peered into the stark darkness (the way Draco liked to keep his room) toward the bed. When his eyes finally adjusted to the near pitch darkness, Severus almost smirked at sight that greeted him; Draco and Theo were pressed very tightly together, their legs tangled up in each other as the top half of their bodies bent in the other direction in completely unnatural positions. Wondering how the hell such positions could even be remotely comfortable, he left the boy and slinked across the hall to Hermione's bedroom.

He was hardly surprised that Hermione had turned on every last light within her bedroom, including that of the closet. Given the way Astoria had carried on, having been perfectly aware and lucid during every moment of that hellish ordeal, Severus wouldn't be surprised if she'd been the one who insisted that Hermione also plug in the nightlight she'd used when she was four on top of everything.

Pressed tightly together, with Astoria smooshed in the middle, the girls slept squeezing each other's hands. Dozens of pillows pushed lined the edges of the bed, and Severus could only assume they served to work as some sort of buffers.

Leaving the room, he shut the door behind him, deciding to go to bed early tonight as well. He was exhausted, and he could always speak with Albus tomorrow about the events that had occurred. So dragging himself to his bedroom door, he flicked the hallway light on (for Harry) and sauntered into his bedroom. Collapsing into his bed as soon as he'd wrestled on some pajama bottoms, he closed his eyes, allowing Crookshanks to settle himself atop his chest for the night.

It was past midnight when Severus was woken from his uneasy sleep by his bedroom door creaking open. Without opening his eyes, he listened to the breathing and studied the intensity and snuffling nature of the footsteps as they approached his bed.

"Couldn't sleep, Harry?" Severus asked gently, sitting upright to lock eyes with the boy.

Harry shook his head no before staring down at the floor as a blush colored his cheeks and he clutched Witherwings to his chest- making him look incredibly young.

"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Severus asked gently.

Harry nodded, hurrying to scramble up into the large bed. Pressing close to Severus, Harry buried his face in Severus's chest. Removing Harry's glasses for him so they stopped pressing into his face, he sat them atop his bedside table and rubbed the troubles boy's back.

"Are you still upset about hearing what happened to Hermione and Draco and their friends?" Severus inquired.

Harry nodded against his chest. "If Slytherin's do that ritual all the time, how come something like this has never happened to any of them?"

"Because only those Salazar, and his basilisks, consider the worthiest and most deserving are able to do so." Severus explained. "And even then, I've never heard of Voldemort appearing."

"Did Salazar appear to you when you did it?" Harry wondered, fiddling with Witherwings tail in a worried manner.

"He did." Severus confirmed. "But it was only for a few seconds and he never possessed any of us. Whatever happened tonight wasn't normal, Harry. And I think Voldemort might have been waiting all year for someone to play the ritual game just so he could get into the school."

"What?!" Harry exclaimed. "He can do that!? Like he did with Ginny's diary!?"

"No, Harry." Severus chuckled. "He may have thought he could, but he wouldn't have been able to last more than a few hours in someone's body."

"Are they all going to be okay?" Harry worried.

"Yes, Harry. They're just a bit shaken up right now." Severus comforted. "They'll be fine."

"They aren't in any trouble, are they?"

"Of course not." Severus calmed. "They didn't know this would happen. And even if they had been stupid enough to do this, knowing that this would happen, I'd say that what happened was punishment enough."

"Good." Harry breathed, shutting his eyes.

"Is there anything else bothering you that you'd like to discuss before you go to sleep?" Severus probed.

"I don't have date for the Yule ball," He frowned, "I have to go stag."

"Can't you take the Weasley girl?" Severus asked kindly.

"No, Neville asked her first." Harry sighed, dramatically. "And I can't take Parvatti anymore because she's horrible."

"Does Ginny have a friend you could take?"

"They all have dates already." Harry frowned, giving in to his angst.

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, they're all popular like she is." Harry explained.

"What about that odd Lovegood girl," Severus asked, "She might not have a date."

"Looney Lovegood?" Harry scoffed, rudely. "You want me to take her?"

"Harry!" Severus scolded. "That's incredibly nasty of you. She may be odd, but I'm sure she's a very nice girl."

"Maybe," Harry agreed, "But still, it's Luna."

"Do you remember how you felt when the entire school shunned you because they feared you were the one petrifying people? That didn't feel too nice, did it?" Severus drilled. "And I'm sure that's how Luna feels all the time."

"I thought you hate everyone, why do you care?" Harry yawned.

"I may not particularly care for the majority of the students, but that doesn't mean I hate them, Harry. And maybe I know how Luna might be feeling…You should too."

"But the ball is tomorrow." Harry stretched. "I can't ask her on such short notice."

"It's Luna, Harry." Severus grinned. "She's not like the other girls who'll need hours to get ready and days to prepare."

"So…I should ask her tomorrow at lunch?"

"I'm not telling what to do, Harry. It's just a suggestion."


	70. Chapter 70

everus awoke at precisely 5:03, to a bed full of five conked out teenagers and a wide-awake Harry. Sighing softly, he wriggled carefully until he was able to disentangle himself from the horde and crawl off the mattress to his freedom. Shaking his head at the mass of teenagers, the majority of them snoring and/or drooling, he removed Crookshanks from his perch atop Astoria's face.

"Help, please?" Harry requested, pinned to the mattress by Theo's feet and Hermione's upper body.

Smirking at Harry's discomfort Severus made his way around to the other side of the bed, calculating in his mind the best way to jiggle Harry free without rousing the lighter sleepers from their deep slumbers. Forming a strategy, he carefully slid Theo's legs from atop Harry's thighs and grabbed Harry beneath the armpits and tugged- effectively freeing Harry from the prison of limbs and bodies.

"Thanks, I've had to pee for hours!" Harry breathed, rushing out of the bedroom in a frantic pursuit of the bathroom.

Shaking his head, Severus exited the bedroom and headed toward the kitchenette, preparing to make breakfast for six growing teenagers. And given what Draco's appetite had been of late, Severus figured it safe to assume Theo's would be of the same insatiable level. Which meant Severus would have to make much more food that he usually prepared. Not that he wasn't up for such a task seeing as he actually enjoyed cooking.

He had just poured himself a steaming cup of coffee when Harry joined him in the kitchen, surprising Severus as he wrapped his arms around his waist in a tight hug. Smiling down at the suddenly affectionate boy, he rubbed his back for a few moments.

"Would you like to help me make breakfast? I've got quite the crew to feed."

"I can help!?" Harry grinned, green eyes shining.

"You like to cook?" Severus questioned, taken by surprise.

"I love to cook!" Harry asserted. "I don't even mind when I have to do it for the Dursely's."

"Then just why are you so abysmal at Potions, Mr. Potter." Severus teased. "They're nearly the same things."

"It's not like I don't try." Harry mumbled, looking ashamed. "I do."

"Brewing is nearly identical to following a recipe, Harry. It might be a little more complex, but you should still manage to scrape by with an A if you claim to enjoy cooking so much."

"I know…" Harry agreed quietly. "But recipes for food are easier to remember, especially if you make them all the time."

"What do you mean, Harry?" Severus frowned, sipping on his coffee.

"Well, I make the same type of meals all the time," Harry explained, "But almost every week we're making a new potion so I don't have any time to remember how to brew them."

"But Harry," Severus reasoned, "You have the instructions in your book and I write them up on the board. I may have high expectations for my students, but I certainly don't expect you, or anyone else, to have memorized how to brew every last potion."

"But if I remember things I don't have to worry about misreading the instructions." Harry clarified. "Or mixing up letters."

"Do you mean that the letters and numbers switch places?" Severus drilled, wondering if the young boy was suffering from dyslexia.

"No." Harry shook his head. "I just mistake letters and numbers if they look alike. It happens with words, too."

"I see." Severus drawled. "Do you mind if we discuss this more tomorrow?"

"You're not angry, are you?" Harry fretted.

"Of course not, foolish boy." Severus reassured.

"Good." Harry breathed, visibly relaxing. "What're we making for breakfast?"

"Why don't you decide, Harry?" Severus allowed, enjoying this moment early morning bonding.

"But…I never decide." Harry said quietly. "The Dursely's always choose."

"But we're not Dursely's, are we?" Severus questioned. "And I'm letting you make the choice."

"Can we make cinnamon rolls?"

"I think that sounds delicious, Harry." Severus agreed. "And I'll even let you be head chef."

"Alright, Sous-chef." Harry grinned. "Get out some bowls."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Having decided to make the rolls from scratch, to give the rest of the children more time to sleep, breakfast had taken a total of three hours to complete. Three hours of uninhibited fun as Harry showcased that he really did possess quite a culinary talent. And as the boy had had such great fun, Severus couldn't find it himself to be even mildly annoyed at the state of the horrendous state of the kitchen.

"You did a great job, Harry." Severus praised. "But it seems your natural untidiness has followed you into the kitchen."

"I'm sorry, I'll clean it up right away!" Harry promised, looking extremely agitated.

"It's fine, Harry." Severus comforted. "I'll take care of it after breakfast. Why don't you go and wake everyone, hmm?"

"But Draco never wakes up for me." Harry reasoned.

"You'll just have to be more creative this time." Severus grinned. "Go on now, shoo."

"Will you come with, Severus?" Harry pleaded. "Aster looks like the kind of girl who'd punch someone for waking them up."

"You're probably right, Harry." Severus grinned. "Let's go."

"Do I have permission to do whatever it takes to wake them up?"

"Yes, you do." Severus grinned, wondering what the teenager had in mind.

"Can I stay for breakfast?" Harry pleaded, already leading the way to Severus's bedroom.

"Of course you can, foolish boy." Severus promised. "You're always welcome here. And I most certainly wouldn't allow you to leave without enjoying your hard work."

"You helped." Harry insisted, noisily opening Severus's bedroom door.

"All I did was keep you from eating all the icing." Severus replied, flicking on his light switch to flood the dark room with glaring light. "Now let's get everyone up so we can eat."

"TERRAEOTUS!"

Harry enunciated very loudly and clearly, jerking about his arm in a haphazard fashion as he cast the spell. Instantaneously his bed began to violently shake and bounce, prompting a yowling fit from Crookshanks who was furious at having received such a rude wake up call. Scrambling off the bed in a frenzy, the beast managed to knock half the blankets and pillows from the bed.

To Harry's credit, the method was ingenious and Severus resolved to utilize it later for Draco when the need arose. In seconds all the teenagers were awake, screaming and yelling- even Draco who had once slept through a violent thunderstorm and small fire.

"Hey!" Aster grouched, rubbing at her eyes. "It's Potter doing it!"

"You're dead, Potter!" Draco growled, leaping off the bed.

"I'm going to kill you!" Aster hissed.

"You most certainly will not." Severus protected, pushing Harry behind him. "Besides, he's made you all cinnamon rolls."


	71. Chapter 71

Hermione danced about anxiously as she waited for the appropriate time to come so that she could head down to the great hall for the Yule Ball. Dressed in her lovely periwinkle dress, her makeup and jewelry and hair done to perfection, she looked even more beautiful than usual. A fact that worried Severus to no end as his little Cherub would soon be engulfed in a throng of hormonal teenage boys that would likely swarm her as soon as they took in her appearance. And while he was chaperoning the festivities, he couldn't very well go about hexing any offenders with so many witnesses about. His only comfort came from knowing that Hermione was a proper lady and from knowing that his Slytherin's had taken his threats and pleadings to keep her safe very seriously.

"'Mione," Narcissa waltzed over to the girl, spritzing her with expensive perfume, "One more squirt before you go."

"I'm so excited, 'Cissa!" Hermione gushed, clasping her aunt's hands in her own. "Viktor will be here any second!"

"One more picture!" Narcissa insisted, brandishing her camera. "Severus, you get in this one, too."

Severus nodded, unable to speak as he was quite choked up and overcome with emotion. His little girl, his baby, was not so tiny anymore. No longer was she interested in crayons and dolls. No, now her rage of interests involved makeup and boys. And while Severus would always be her number one man, Hermione would soon have a knight in shining armor on her hands. And Severus wasn't sure he was ready for all that, especially not now when it was so blatantly being thrust in his face.

Severus swallowed down his emotion, moving to stand behind Hermione as Narcissa stood to her left and held the camera out, carefully positioning it before she snapped the photograph with expert precision.

"Hermione," Severus said softly, moving to stand in front of her, "You're look absolutely stunning. You're a wonderful girl, and any boy will be lucky to have you for his own one day."

"Daddy, are you okay?" Hermione asked, a small smile gracing her face as Severus placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm fine, Cherub." Severus swallowed. "I'm just very proud of you, and I'm so glad you're my daughter."

"Oh, Daddy," Hermione gushed, wrapping him in a tight hug, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Severus said hoarsely. "You be a good girl, tonight."

"I will be." Hermione insisted, kissing his chin and leaving behind a red stain.

"Thank you." Severus praised, kissing her temple. "Narcissa, will you see her off? I…I think I'm going to head to the great hall early- to make sure the Gryffindor's aren't trying to sneak in early."

Narcissa and Lucius exchanged glances, before Narcissa gave him an understanding smile.

"Go, Severus." Narcissa permitted.

"I'll read Krum the riot act, don't worry." Lucius added.

"Hey!" Hermione protested. "Don't embarrass me!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They were already hours into the Yule ball, and Hermione was aflutter with laughter and joy as she twirled about with Krum; enjoying the envious stares from the girls who had always been cruel toward her as their dates shamelessly ogled her. Oh, how great it felt to see the murderous glances on Lavender's and Parvatti's faces, to see the disbelief on Pansy's and Tracey's face.

"'Mione."

Hermione had just been weaving her way through the throng of bodies in pursuit of an empty table; Viktor having slunk off to find the two of them some drinks to refresh their dehydrated bodies, Hermione figured it'd be easier to enjoy them sitting down. But before she could even locate a suitable table, one not being occupied by petulant students angered by their inability to find dates, Theo had grabbed her gently by the wrist and spun her around.

"Theo." She smiled widely, lost in the brilliant midnight blue of his eyes.

"You look…amazing." He praised, a grin playing up his lips. "I wish I could've been the one to take you."

"If only you'd have asked a bit sooner." Hermione agreed, hoping that her blush wouldn't show through her rouge.

"Where is Viktor now?" Theo wondered, his voice smooth and low yet somehow easily heard above the noise of the ball.

"He's gone to find drinks." Hermione explained.

"Do you think he would mind if we shared a dance?" Theo questioned, grabbing her hands in his soft, larger hands.

"No," Hermione answered truthfully, "But what about your date?"

"I didn't ask anyone to the ball." Theo admitted, looking unashamed unlike the other boys who'd been unable to secure a date.

"Why ever not?" Hermione pondered. "You're certainly handsome enough to have found a willing date."

"Maybe." Theo agreed. "But I knew I wouldn't have been able to keep my eyes off you tonight, and I didn't want to put a date through that."

"Theo." Hermione breathed. "That's so…sweet."

"You're sweet." He whispered, stepping closer. "We're also standing underneath the mistletoe."

"Oh." Hermione squeaked, and that was all she could say.

"And you're a Slytherin now." Theo prompted, stepping closer and raising a gentle hand to cup her cheek.

"And we need to keep tradition alive." Hermione agreed, placing her tinier hand atop Theo's.

And without another word Theo brought his face closer to hers, a soft hunger radiating in his beautiful eyes before he closed them. Despite being afflicted with sudden lightheadedness, Hermione still found it within her power to get up unto the very tips of her toes to assist the very tall boy in his pursuit of her lips. And when the two pairs of perfectly soft lips met, Hermione saw stars beneath her closed lids and allowed Theo to pull her closer as she snaked her hands around his neck.

It was a long time before they slowly began to part from their kiss, and Hermione was almost confident the magical moment had lasted hours- no matter how ridiculous the still functioning part of her brain told her that was. Still feeling slightly faint from the onslaught of adrenaline and hormones, she was greatly relieved that Theo still kept a gentlemanly hand pressed to the spot just above the small of her back.

"You've got a touch of red all over your lips…" She babbled, swiping the lipstick away with a gentle brush of her thumb.

"You've both got a ton of libido showing on your faces, too."

Aster teased, sauntering her way over toward them as she shooed her date (a much older boy who'd graduated two years ago) with a few taps to his cheeks. Looking slightly disappointed at his abrupt dismal, the lanky brunette gave one last hungry look at her heavily exposed legs before he stalked off- eyeing a blonde Beaxbaton girl who was dancing rather promiscuously against another rather annoyed looking schoolmate.

"I love your dress." Hermione praised, eager to change the subject as she wasn't quite ready to share her special moment with anyone. "But how did you get past McGonagall and Pompfrey's ridiculous dress code?"

Aster shrugged, causing the ruby sequins on her tightly fitting dress to ripple and shine magnificently in the ambient lighting of the room.

"They were too busy dealing with the Weasley twins trying to spike the punch and with the horridly slutty dresses the Gryffindor's were trying to pull off."

"Are you talking about the dress that Parvatti was wearing?" Astoria asked, suddenly appearing with Draco pressed close to her side. "I swear on my life, if that girl sat she'd have put her munt on full display."

"Lovely." Theo said dryly, shuddering at the imagery that had been placed in his head.

"I see that the gang is all here," Draco added, thankfully changing the subject, "Is it time to head out?"

"Wait," Hermione insisted, "You promised you'd let Harry and Ron come."

"Well, where the hell are they?" Aster huffed, placing a hand on her hip.

"Be patient, Aster. Harry's right there." Theo mentioned, gesturing behind the skinny girl toward Harry as he made his way through the crowd.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked, as soon as Harry had joined their small group.

"He's keeping a Durmstrang girl company," Harry blushed, "He told me tell you that he's decided not to come."

"Which girl?" Hermione asked, wondering when the hell Ron had ever made the time to talk to any of the guest students.

"The really short one with curly hair."

Harry explained, pointing off toward a wall where Ron and said girl were groping each other with their tongues in each other's throats.

"I bet she's already pregnant." Aster smirked. "I hear if a Weasley boy just looks at you for more than a few seconds, you've conceived."

"Aster." Hermione frowned. "Seriously, they're nice people."

"I never said that they weren't." Aster argued. "It was a joke. You're free to make a few of them, too."

"Where's Luna, Harry?" Astoria asked, breaking the tension. "Weren't you taking her?"

"I did…but halfway through the night she ran off in pursuit of the 'nargles' because they stole her shoes. I haven't seen her since."

"Harsh." Theo sympathized.

"It wasn't entirely awful." Harry shrugged. "We had fun dancing…even if all she did was spin around."

"You should've taken a Slytherin." Draco commented. "We know how to dance."

"You could've taken Aster." Astoria teased, blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh yeah." Harry scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I would've taken you." Aster shrugged, sounding bored. "If I hadn't already agreed to go with Dom Flint."

Draco gave her a blank stare. "I'm pretty certain his name is Tom Fawley- Head of the Magical Games Committee."

"Same difference." Aster dismissed. "Let's go."

"Where exactly are we going?" Harry queried, always excited for an adventure.

"After party at the Hog's Head Inn." Aster replied. "Let's go."


	72. Chapter 72

The Hog's Head Inn was grimy and disgusting as always; but tonight the filth could hardly be seen for the huge crowd of teenagers and young adults crowding the cramped building. Walls shaking as the young people bounced and danced rowdily to the blaring music, air filled with the horrid combination of perfume, cologne, sweat and alcohol, the after party was the very definition of a rave; illicit potions and herbs being passed about as liberally as the moonshine. Strobe lights flashing in haphazard intervals, and illuminating powder being thrown all about the place, the scene was an epileptic's worst nightmare and a wild child's dream.

"I'm glad you talked me into coming, Aster."

Hermione expressed gratitude to the blonde who stood beside her as they both touched up their makeup in the girl's bathroom. She'd honestly never had so much fun in her life, and she knew she'd never forget a single moment of this night as long as she lived. She'd even been bonding with Aster, something that thrilled her to no end.

"I'm glad you came." Aster nodded, carefully drawing a mascara wand closer to her eye.

"Did you just say something nice?" Hermione teased, tucking an escaped strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes," Aster groaned, "I'm going to need to wash my mouth out with absinthe to get the horrid taste of sentiment out."

"You're just like Daddy," Hermione commented, "Pretending to be all tough and vicious when you're really as sweet as sugar."

"Say that again and I'll bust your teeth your out." Aster threatened. "Besides, I don't see why people can't be kind and vicious. Pandas are, and everyone loves them."

"I wasn't insulting you." Hermione assured. "That was a compliment, I promise."

"Keep all that gooey, emotional shite to yourself." Aster gagged, moving on to her other purple eye.

"If you insist." Hermione relented, removing a smudge of red lipstick from a tooth.

"Oh, I do." Aster ascertained, swiping the mascara wand upward to coat her already lengthy lashes.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Hermione frowned, hearing the muffled yells and thuds that found their way inside the bathroom.

"Sounds like a bar row," Aster shrugged, "No big deal."

"It's sounds pretty violent, though." Hermione commented, slightly perturbed.

"It's the Hog's Head Inn, Hermione," Aster dismissed, "The fight's here are naturally more violent."

"Weren't the aurors come if it gets to violent?" Hermione pestered.

"Not unless Aberforth can't break it up." Aster promised. "Don't worry, someone will warn us if the aurors get called."

"Alright," Hermione relented, "Let's get back to Astoria and the boys."

"Great idea." Aster smirked. "If we leave Draco and Astoria alone for too long, she'll end up pregnant."

"Let's hurry, then." Hermione laughed, linking arms with the perfectly sculpted blonde.

In tandem the two girls left the muffled quietness of the tiny bathroom behind them, stepping out, instead, into a large commotion as the patrons rooted and goaded on the participants of a large (and rather violent) bar brawl.

Six or seven young men created a wreck of the pub as their fists flew and they shot out their hexes and jinx's without discretion or care. Loud swears and oaths broke through the cheers of the spectators, and Aberforth's loud threats to call the aurors went on unheeded along with the older man's efforts to break the fight apart.

Exchanging looks of curiosity and mild concern, the duo pushed their way through the crowd of onlookers in pursuit of a better view. Slender and flexible, the girls had no issue slinking their way to the front- shamelessly using their elbows to shove aside those unwilling to move.

Spotting Astoria's thick curtain of luxurious hair, Hermione snaked out a hand and yanked on the younger girl's wrist until she craned her neck to see who was calling for her attention. Blue eyes widening when Astoria took notice of them, she reached through the crowd and pulled the two girls forward to the front.

"Aster, 'Mione- the boys!" She squeaked, thrusting a hand out toward the brawl.

"Astoria, what-"

"Look!" Astoria snapped, cutting her off as she gestured to the fight once more.

Hermione obeyed the barked out order, turning to scrutinize the melee as she'd been requested to do. Her jaw dropped as she recognized three of the brawlers were Theo, Draco, and Harry.

"I was gone for three minutes!" Aster yelled. "What the hell happened?"

"Somebody told Harry he'd have been a waste of his parents sacrifice if they weren't such worthless people to begin with." Astoria explained. "Harry punched him, and then all three of his mates ganged up on him. That's when Draco and Theo joined in!"

"Why isn't anybody stopping them!?" Hermione yelled. "They're killing each other!"

And indeed they were, Harry was currently pressed to the floor having his face punched in while Draco was atop Harry's attacker, trying to get the large boy off from Harry. And of course, this left Theo alone to deal with the two other attackers on his own, barely holding his own as the fists flew.

"ENOUGH!" Aberforth bellowed. "The aurors are coming, and if you had any wit left in your heads you'd best be going!"

"They're already here!" A girl shrieked from the back. "They're coming in!"

"Shite!" Aster cursed loudly. "We've got to grab the boys and leave- now!"

"Dad's going to kill me if we get arrested." Hermione fussed.

Rushing forward as all three attackers fled in pursuit of an exit, Hermione yanked Harry from off the floor with Aster's help as Astoria rushed to check up on Draco and Theo. Slipping slightly from the blood on the floor, Hermione nearly loosened her grip on a very drunk and very injured Harry Potter.

"We have to leave," Draco insisted, helping Theo stand upright, "Now!"

"Aurors! Nobody move!" A gravelly voice called out, barely heard above the noise of the crowd as they hurried to escape.

"The doors are blocked!" Astoria yelled. "These too many aurors!"

"The men's bathroom!" Theo suggested, his voice sounding congested as the blood dripped from his nose. "We can get out the window!"

"I'm not afraid of any aurors!" Harry growled, a defiant gleam in his eyes. "I can take 'em."

"Stuff it, Potter." Aster barked harshly, stomping on his foot.

"I'm Harry bloody Potter, what're they going to do? Arrest me?" Harry mocked, stumbling forward as Hermione and Aster dragged him.

"Yes, actually!" Hermione hissed.

"And afterwards," Draco warned, "Severus will kill you!"

"Uh-oh," Harry groaned, "Severus is going to be pissed."

"Not if we don't get arrested!" Astoria insisted. "So pick up your feet and move!"

Harry nodded and moved his feet as best as he could, which unfortunately wasn't very well with as sloshed as he was. It took a grand total of two whole minutes, time they did not have, to wrestle all five of their selves into the men's bathroom.

Draco wasted no time in scrambling up atop a urinal, disregarding the filth that splashed his shoes, as he attempted to thrust the rectangular window open. Warped shut with age and neglect, Draco was unable to force it open.

"Use you damned wand!" Aster hissed, casting a concerned look toward the door.

Draco glared at her but obeyed, finally coercing the window open with the aid of an anti-sticking charm. Wrenching it open as far as it'd go, he held one of his hands down while he gripped the window sill with his free one.

"Ladies first." Draco ordered, gesturing impatiently when all anyone did was stare.

"Astoria, go! You're youngest." Theo ordered. "Now!" He barked.

Astoria hastened to obey, despite looking rather hesitant, and allowed Theo to assist her climb up the urinal until he was certain Draco had a firm grip on her arm. As gently as he was able, Draco helped her wriggle through the window- muttering a quick suggestion to 'tuck and roll.'

"'Mione, you go." Aster ordered. "Your Dad will murder you if you get caught."

"Aster-"

"We don't have time for this- move!" Aster barked, wrestling Harry forward.

Hermione shook her head but moved quickly, spraining her ankle as she all but threw herself out the window in her haste to make certain everyone escaped without arrests.

"'Mione- are you okay?" Astoria fussed, rushing forward to help her to her feet.

"I'm fine." Hermione nodded, pulling Astoria down behind two rubbish bins as an auror rushed by.

"If we get caught Hogsmeade weekends will be taken away for everyone." Astoria whispered, unknowingly kneeling into a mushy apple.

"We're not going to get caught." Hermione insisted. "We can't. My dad will kill me."

"'Mione!" Aster whispered, from beneath the window. "Get over here and help me catch Potter."

Hermione, still sticking to the shadows, rushed to stand beside Aster- bracing herself as she prepared for Harry's descent.

"Alright, drop him!" Aster called upward, digging her heels into the dirt.

"Try not to drop him." Theo suggested, his voice sounding strained.

And with that Harry was ungracefully shoved through the window, grunting loudly as he fell through the brisk, winter air. Unfortunately, despite having braced herself, Hermione was unable to keep her arms linked with Aster's and Harry fell to the snowy ground below with a loud crash.

"Sorry, Harry!" Hermione whispered sheepishly, helping the breathless boy back to his feet with Aster's help.

"Move aside!" Draco called out, leaving them little time to obey before he landed with a soft thud outside. Seconds later, Theo joined them.

"Let's go!" Theo breathed. "We'll break into Honeydukes and sneak in through that entrance."

"I don't think so."

Hermione and Astoria both gave undignified squeaks as a burly auror suddenly materialized behind them.

"Run." Theo suggested. "We can lose him in the crowd. He can't arrest us all."

"He won't do anything!" Harry slurred, wrinkling his face in the aurors direction. "He can't arrest me. I'm Harry Potter!"

"Shut it, Harry!" Aster barked, looking murderous.

"You shut it, Aster. I'm trying to talk our ways out of this."

"You're not helping!" Hermione growled, grabbing him by his hair.

"Quiet!" The auror barked. "Get on your knees! All of you!"

"How about you get on your knees?" Harry suggested, stepping closer to the auror.

"Stupefy!" The auror barked, landing his hex in the center of Harry's face.

Harry grunted and fell forward, face planting on the ground once more.

"Fuck!"

It was the first time Hermione had ever heard Theo curse, yet she didn't have time to reflect on it before the tall boy slunk forward and threw Harry over his shoulder in two fluid movements, taking advantage of the fact that the auror was distracted as he sent a patronous to request back up.

"Run!" Theo hollered.


	73. Chapter 73

It was four-thirty by the time the quintet finally made it back into the dungeons of the castle, complete messes and entirely out of breath- especially Theo who had been forced to carry Harry until he had recovered enough to walk on his own. It was an altogether horrid ordeal having to avoid capture; slinking past Ms. Norris, Filtch, and McGonagall (who was on patrol that night) only worsened everyone's mood.

Having dropped of Theo, Astoria, and Aster at the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Hermione, Draco, and Harry slowly made their way back to Severus's apartment; Harry dragging his feet as much as he could because he just knew Severus was going to murder him for the stunt he'd pulled earlier that night.

"It'll be okay, Harry."

Hermione tried to soothe Harry as they arrived outside Severus's door, but it was to no avail. Harry was already mourning the loss of his ability to sit comfortably, and worse yet, he felt horrible knowing that Severus was going to be cross and disappointed with his behavior. He felt incredibly guilty, and he didn't like to feel that way. And what if Severus wouldn't let him come around anymore, deciding that Harry was too much trouble to want anything to do with him? Harry didn't think he could take that.

"Get inside, all three of you, and go to bed- now!"

Before Harry could dwell any further on the fact that he was in for a rough night, Severus had thrown the door open and glowered down at them with a ferocity so intense, Harry was surprised the glower hadn't burned holes in them.

Hermione and Draco darted inside, nearly tripping over themselves. But Harry was rooted to the spot with anxiety, feeling like he was going to explode from sheer terror that he'd be abandoned and kicked to the curb. Staring down at the dungeon floor, he bit his lip, wondering how best to plead his case.

"Harry, I believe I told you to get inside." Severus growled.

Harry swallowed, bracing himself for a blow that never came. Instead, Severus placed a hand beneath his chin and forced Harry to look upward.

"Look at me, Harry." Severus requested.

Harry was hesitate to do so but figured he was already in big enough trouble as it was. So still chewing on his bottom lip, he forced his eyes to meet Severus's.

"I'm not going to beat you, Harry. I will never do that." Severus promised, his gaze never wavering. "But we will be discussing the things Aberforth reported to me, tomorrow after you've had time to rest. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, swallowing down his anxiety. "Yes, sir."

"Come inside, Harry." Severus softened his voice. "I'll get you tucked in."

"I can still sleep here?" Harry asked quietly, looking downward.

"Of course, foolish boy." Severus sighed. "I may be very cross with you, but I'll never kick you to the curb."

"Promise?"

"Yes, Harry." Severus soothed, pulling him inside so that the door could close. "Now go get into bed, I'll be in in a moment."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Breakfast/lunch had been a quiet affair the next morning, all three children having been wise enough to sense that Severus was not in a very patient and understanding mood. If the fierce scowling and tense silence wasn't enough of an indicator, the fire in Severus's eyes was. The crumpled up Daily Prophet, proudly displaying the headline 'Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lives-To-Party?' also served as pretty blatant display of Severus's anger.

So Harry had sat silently and poked at his crepes, unable to eat them despite the fact that they were his favorite breakfast food. Because even though Harry was positive that Severus could convince people that the newspaper article was a joke, and that Harry would never be spending time with Slytherins, he knew that that wasn't the point and that Severus was still furious with him- likely having already been told by Aberforth everything that had happened.

Harry's anxiety had only increased after Severus had dismissed Hermione and Draco, telling them to spend some time away from the castle. Severus had only waited a few seconds after he heard the door closing behind Hermione and Draco before he'd ordered Harry to his room and instructed him to face a corner.

And that was where Harry was now, fighting back tears as he stood in the left corner furthest away from the door so that he wouldn't accidentally get hit should Severus chose to throw open his bedroom door in a dramatic fashion. Fighting the childish urge to grab Witherwings, Harry cursed his hotheadedness. His temper was always getting him into trouble, and so was his impulsiveness. He needed to learn to think before he acted, he was too old to be losing his cool like a spoiled toddler denied a favorite toy.

He gave a slight jump when the door opened again ten minutes later, but forced himself to remain staring at the wall. Severus had ordered him not to move from the spot, and Harry was sure he had meant it. He'd learned to take his punishments very seriously; forever remember the time he'd disobeyed Vernon's order to remain in his cupboard despite the fact that there had been a nasty hornet inside.

"Harry, come here." Severus demanded, his voice full of disappointment and sorrow.

Harry swallowed before turning around, pressing his back into the wall before he even dared to look upward from the floor. When his eyes finally located Severus, they noticed he was sitting on the side of Harry's bed with a stern expression on his face as he rested his hands in his lap.

Very slowly, as if he were walking toward his executioner, Harry shuffled across the carpet and stopped when he was just a few inches outside of Severus's reach. Apparently this wasn't acceptable for the professor, because he snaked out a long arm and pulled him forward until he stood between his legs.

"Look at me Harry." Severus requested, forcing Harry's chin upward like he had late last night.

Harry took a deep breath and obeyed, drawing his eyes upward until they locked unto Severus's. What he saw within the black orbs surprised him; there was compassion and what could almost be considered parental affection amongst the disappointment, but no hate, and Harry slightly calmed at that.

"I was very worried about you when Aberforth sent word you'd been involved in a brawl," Severus lectured, "You could've been very badly hurt."

"I'm sorry," Harry insisted, and really he was, "But they told me that I'd be a waste of a sacrifice if my parents hadn't been so worthless to begin with."

"And that was a horrid thing for them to say, Harry. But you need to learn to control your anger, Harry." Severus lectured. "There is a time and a place for vengeance."

Harry nodded, understanding the wisdom of the words. Draco and Severus had been telling him that vengeance was best served when there wasn't a chance of punishment for the retaliation.

"But your brawling isn't why you're in trouble, Harry." Severus continued. "Your stupidity in confronting an auror in the manner you did is."

"I was trying to talk my way out of trouble like Draco's always doing." Harry explained quietly.

"You need a bit more practice before you go about trying to talk your way out of trouble." Severus scolded mildly. "You're lucky you haven't been arrested, Harry. If Dumbledore wasn't so sure you were in the castle last night, you would be."

Harry nodded again, feeling deeply ashamed as he tried to keep the tears from falling. He was fourteen. He was too old to be crying over a talking to.

"I was drunk…" Harry explained, his throat suddenly tight.

"That doesn't excuse anything, Harry." Severus said sternly. "You need to know what your limit is before you drink. If you didn't know what it was, you shouldn't have been drinking last night. Besides, even if you were drunk you should have had a modicum of self-control left."

"I'm sorry, Severus." Harry mumbled.

"I know, Harry." Severus assured, "But I care about you and I need to be sure you'll never do something so foolish again."

Harry swallowed, anxiety rendering him mute. Was he going to get belted? He hated that, it hurt! And Vernon never went easy on him, making sure that the metal part always hit him instead of the softer leather.

"I'm going to spank you, Harry." Severus clarified. "Bare bottomed but with only my hand."

"No belt?" Harry repeated, fidgeting nervously.

"No belt." Severus promised. "Now drop your bottoms and get over my knees."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus took a deep breath to steel himself before he delivered the first smack, wanting to tread carefully because he understood Harry was emotionally fragile and needed to be handled with great care. It wouldn't do to traumatize the poor child, after all.

"Do you want Witherwings, Harry?" Severus offered, taking pity on the teenager.

"Please." Harry nodded, eagerly yanking the plushy from Severus's hand as soon as he held it out to him.

"Alright, I'm going to start." Severus warned, rubbing Harry's back briefly to calm the quivering.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"You will never behave so foolishly again, Harry! Do you understand me?"

Severus paused in his punishing to allow Harry a chance to respond, feeling awful as he could feel rather than hear the boy crying. But when a long few minutes passed without response, Severus brought down his hand hard.

"Yes!" Harry cried loudly, beginning to audibly sob. "I understand!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"And you will never act so foolishly around an auror! It is incredibly dangerous and idiotic!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"If you ever do something like that again, you'll never sit comfortably again!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"Do you understand!?"

"Ye-ye-yes!" Harry sobbed, visibly shaken. "I'm…I'm so sorry!"

"Good boy, Harry." Severus soothed. "Ten more and we're finished, okay?"

Harry nodded, but when Severus tilted him so that his sit spot was exposed he gave a terrified groan and reached his hands back to try and fend off Severus's heavy hand.

"Move your arms, Harry." Severus said gently. "Come on now, ten more and we're finished."

When Harry refused the request, Severus sighed. "Harry, you need to move your hands. Do you need me to pin them back or would you like to squeeze Witherwings?"

Harry sniffed loudly but slowly moved his hands, scooping up the Plushy that had dropped to the floor. Hiccupping loudly, the teenager tensed up and Severus decided it would be best to finish the punishing so they could move on to the comforting part.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"There now, we're all done." Severus praised. "You handled that well."

"I'm sorry!" Harry insisted. "I won't do it again! I'm sorry! Don't hate me!"

"I could never hate you, Harry. I punished you because I care." Severus promised. "Now come, up you get." He soothed, helping Harry to stand and replace his bottoms before he pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry!" Harry repeated, crying heavily into Severus's shoulder as Severus pulled him unto his lap, positioning him so his bottom wasn't touching anything.

"I know, Harry. It's all over. Shh." Severus comforted. "I'm here, I'll never leave you."

"I promise, I boy." Severus swore, rubbing the boys back.

"Love you, Dad." Harry murmured, almost inaudible.

Severus froze, his throat tightening and heart constricting tightly. He could barely breath, there was that heart attack coming on again, just like it had around the time he'd adopted Hermione.

"I love you too, Harry."


	74. Chapter 74

Visual Processing Disorders occur when a child cannot receive, process, arrange, recall or express information in an accurate and timely way. This does not mean the child has poor eyesight, but that his or her brain has trouble processing visual information.

Common sights include, but are not limited to; often mistaking letters and numbers that look similar in shape, misreading words, remembering the spelling of familiar words incorrectly, spacing letters or words poorly, writing outside lines and margins, losing place whilst reading, and inability to locate numbers or specific passages easily. Other symptoms include; inattentiveness to visual tasks, being easily distracted by too much visual stimuli, exhibition of struggle dealing with tasks that require copying, substandard note taking, reversal and transposition of letters and words, troubles differentiating colors, inability to remember passages read silently, below average reading coupled with high oral comprehension, substandard math skills, and failure to recognize changes in signs, displays, or bulletin boards.

Visual Processing Disorders impact many aspects of an individual's life. Like any other type of Learning Disability, VPD may disrupt a child's home life, education, behavior, and social life as visual stimuli is known to cause anxiety and frustration in individuals suffering from this disability. At school they may have trouble completing assigned written class work, and may often time miss valuable information due to visual-based instruction methods due to limited time required to process the material.

Accommodation and modification strategies are a vital part of helping an individual with VPD achieve their full academic potential. Some tactics that many find helpful are; the use of books and worksheets and other material with enlarged print and alternating colored letters, the reading of directions out loud coupled with images, the breaking of assignments into concise steps, the giving of examples and visual information, the providing of extra information before a task is set to begin, organization of numbers and math problems. Allowing students to answer orally, providing paper with darker and raised lines, using a ruler as a reading guide, using a highlighter to immediately emphasize information, providing a tape recorder to supplement note-taking, and having a proofreading buddy for notes and essays can also greatly help.

Severus stared at the text in front of him, relieved that he finally had answers on how to deal with Harry's abysmal schoolwork. The boy obviously wasn't being lazy, like he had once thought, but was rather struggling along as best as he could. Harry needed a little more assistance- that was all. And Severus would make certain he received that aid. With a mother as brilliant as Lily, Harry would be formidable academic completion once his intelligence was fully tapped into.

So grabbing a folder stuffed full of Harry's old tests, quizzes, essays and homework, stealthily retrieved of course, Severus flipped it open and grabbed a test from off the pile of work. Squinting to decipher the horrid writing, Severus was able to deduce it was an assigned essay about giant culture.

A giant a very large creature potentully grow to 25 feet. They have beast features like sharp teeth. A powerful and nearly unstoppable race, giants live in tribes. But their nummers have shrank. A gitan tribe is led by eth stronges gitan, known as the Gurhg.

Severus stared at the mess scrawled crookedly across the heavily-doodled upon parchment. Understandably, Binns had scrawled an angry red T across the top of the page along with a whole list of 'critiques' the majority of which were hardly anything more than thinly-veiled insults. 'Essay was supposed to be '10 inches, grievous spelling errors, abysmal sentence structure, little effort given, of a childish quality. Absolute rubbish.'

Severus shook his head as he stared at the red ink marring the parchment; if Harry received remarks like that on all his work it was little wonder he'd given up so early. Perhaps he, himself, needed to go easier when it came to his remarks.

Deciding to see what a kinder teacher had to say about Harry's work, Severus rifled through the folder until he found a Charms quiz that demanded short answers in response to questions.

'Perhaps you'd do better if you had Ms. Granger look over your work before you handed it in.' 'Good effort.' 'Perhaps you just don't quiz well.' Harry had received a P for that.

"Harry?"

Severus called out to the boy, who was sequestered off in his room engrossed in a book on Quidditch Strategies. And while Severus was happy to see the boy was still immersed in his reading, as it had been a good hour and a half and Harry was prone to giving up in frustration before then, Severus needed to discuss some things with the boy. And now was as good a time as any given that Hermione and Draco had stalked off to spend some time in the Slytherin common room.

Always eager to please Severus, Harry came out from his bedroom in mere seconds, his book still in hand.

"Yes?" Harry asked, seating himself on the couch across from Severus.

"Remember how I said we'd be discussing your schoolwork a few weeks ago?" Severus pressed, keeping his tone light lest the boy fear he was in trouble.

"Yes." Harry nodded, looking instantly nervous. "But I've been trying- really, I have!"

"Harry, you aren't in any trouble at all." Severus assured. "I just want to help you reach your potential. You've obviously been struggling to do so on your own."

"But I've been trying." Harry repeated softly, still on edge.

"I know you have." Severus agreed. "But maybe we can make doing schoolwork easier for you."

"I thought you said I was doing better," Harry mumbled, "Now that you've been helping me."

"Harry, you've been doing much better." Severus praised. "You aren't in any trouble whatsoever."

Harry still looked unsure, but nodded. "What're we discussing then?"

"Harry, I think you may have a Visual Processing Disorder. I've been doing some research." Severus added, pointing to the book he'd been reading and the folder.

"What's that?" Harry questioned, pointing at the folder.

"It's a mishmash of your old work, Harry. I needed to go over it to see if-"

"You asked the other professors for my old work!?" Harry erupted, looking greatly insulted. "What did you tell them!? Why would you do that!?"

"Harry, you do not raise your voice to me in that manner." Severus said calmly, giving him a warning look.

"But that's so embarrassing!" Harry protested. "And you don't even care do you!?"

"Do you need to spend some time in the corner, Harry?" Severus warned, cocking a brow at the boy.

"No, but-"

"Calm down, Harry." Severus ordered. "I want you to sit back down, now. I'll count to three."

"But-"

"One…Two…"

Harry gave an indignant huff but plopped back down unto the couch, folding his arms across his chest with an angry scowl on his face that was more of a pout. Rolling his eyes at the childish behavior, Severus decided to let the outburst slide without any further reprimands.

"I didn't ask the professors for your work, child. I stealthily retrieved it on my own. I would not embarrass you like that."

Harry's face immediately colored and his eyes dropped to the floor before.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, looking very contrite.

"You need to learn to think before you react, Harry." Severus scolded.

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry." He repeated.

"It's okay, Harry. Just keep that in mind." Severus requested. "Now back to Visual Processing Disorders-"

"What're those?" Harry interrupted, in his usual impatient manner.

"Don't interrupt, Harry," Severus scolded lightly, for the tenth time that day, "As I was saying, a Visual Processing Disorder is a disorder that occurs when a person cannot process visual information in the same manner as others."

"But my eyesight is fine, I have glasses." Harry oh-so-helpfully contributed.

"Eyesight has nothing to do with it, child. It has to do with how your brain handles visual information like words, letters, and numbers. Remember when you said you mistake certain letters for others? That is result of this disorder."

"So is there a potion I take to fix it?" Harry wondered. "Or a spell?"

"No, Harry," Severus sighed, "Just like many other health issues, potions and spells cannot 'fix' them."

"Than what do I do?"

"What we're going to do," Severus corrected, "Is work on providing you with the tools and confidence to work past this."

"You're going to help me?" Harry asked softly.

"Of course, foolish boy." Severus calmed. "Now, go get your homework and I'll show you some things you can do to help yourself out."

"But, I don't have any homework." Harry insisted, sounding rather unsure.

"Don't lie to me, Harry." Severus cautioned.

"I'm not lying." Harry insisted, getting defensive.

"Go get your bag." Severus ordered, weary of waging the same fight with the boy over and over again.

"But, I really don't have any homework this time!" Harry argued, a lie he was very prone to repeating.

"Perhaps if you'd been more truthful the first twenty times I've asked you about homework, I'd believe you. Go get your bag, now. If I have to summon it myself, you're going to timeout."

"I'm too old for timeouts!" Harry growled, utterly despising the punishment he was so often given.

"Would you like to be punished in the manner I deal with Hermione? With a spanking or privilege removal?"

"That's not fair! Hermione never gets in trouble!"

"Go. Get. Your. Bag. Now!" Severus snapped. "You're skating on thin ice with me!"

"Fine!" Harry spat, stomping to his bedroom as loudly as he could.

"Don't dawdle." Severus called out, massaging his temples.

It wasn't long before the teenager returned and all but threw his bag at Severus's feet before slouching back down on the couch.

"I only have an essay for Transfiguration to finish…but it's not even due until next week."

Severus ignored the child and rooted through the bag, already knowing what Harry had due as shared many of the same classes with Hermione. Removing several books and strips of parchment, Severus placed them on the coffee table.

"Why didn't you just tell me you only had an essay to do, Harry? Instead of lying and giving me attitude?"

"Because!"

"Because why, Harry?" Severus demanded, putting a firm look on his face.

"Because you wouldn't let me!" Harry growled.

"Really, Harry?" Severus drawled. "You have ample opportunity the first time I asked you."

"You wouldn't have believed me." Harry whined, grasping at straws to prove his invalid point.

"I would have, Harry. I'm able to tell when you're lying to me." Severus reminded.

"Then why do you even bother asking me at all!" Harry barked.

"Here is what's going to happen tonight," Severus declared, fighting to keep his cool, "You're going to go sit in the timeout chair for ten minutes to calm down, and then we're going to finish your essay and go over your other assignments that're due tomorrow."

"But the other assignments are done!" Harry complained. "I finished them!"

"I know, but we're still going to go over them and make sure they're of satisfactory work." Severus said firmly. "Now go and sit in the naughty chair."

"But- I haven't done anything!" Harry asserted, glaring at the much-loathed chair Severus kept in the corner of the living room.

"You're attitude has been horrendous." Severus rebuked. "You need to take time to calm down before we start on your homework. Now go- before I decide you need fifteen minutes."

Harry's face fell as it usually did when he was disciplined, but the teenager fought back the angry tears of frustration as he drug his feet over to the chair and slowly lowered himself down into it. Pulling his legs up to his chest, Harry hugged them and glared down at the floor.

Following after the boy, Severus kneeled in front of the chair and waited until Harry made eye contact with him to speak.

"You were sent to timeout because of your attitude, Harry. You need to learn to voice your frustrations in a calm manner. You may not yell, backtalk, or lie. You'll sit for ten minutes and think on your behavior, than you may come out."

And with that, Severus repositioned the chair so that it faced the corner. Leaving the upset Harry alone, he set about gathering up a jar of ink and some parchment in preparation for their work session. Ignoring the snuffling from Harry, with great difficulty, Severus organized the coffee table.

After eight minutes had passed Severus took pity, like usual, and went to retrieve Harry from the chair. Turning the furniture, he came face to face with a red-faced, teary boy and his gut twisted. It seemed no matter how many timeouts he'd been forced to deliver (many) he always felt awfully when he had to be strict. Especially with Harry, who was so emotionally vulnerable.

Can you tell me why you were sent to timeout?" Severus asked softly.

Harry nodded his agreement but remained silent, swiping at the tears resting on his cheeks.

"Care to share?" Severus teased, earning a small smile from Harry.

"Because of my attitude." Harry sniffed. "And yelling and lying and back talking."

Severus nodded. "We're not going to do that again, are we?"

Harry shook his head. "No."

"Give me a hug then, and you can come out."

Harry happily consented, falling into Severus's arms before he burst into tears. As per usual, Severus let him cry for as long as he needed, offering up promises that all was forgiven and reassurances that Harry was no longer in trouble.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Excellent, Harry!" Severus praised, looking down at the answer the boy had rewritten. "This sentence is perfectly written!"

Harry beamed. "Can we be done now?" He pleaded.

"We still have to finish that essay for Transfiguration, Harry." Severus reminded. "It's only 20 inches due, it shouldn't take that long."

Harry scowled heavily, shooting death looks at the paper before him. "But, it's not due until next week."

"I know," Severus agreed, "But if you finish it now you can do something fun with all your free time."

"I've already rewritten four assignments." Harry complained. "I'm sick of writing."

"I'll tell you what, Harry." Severus decided. "Do you like your new quidditch book?"

"I love it!" Harry agreed eagerly. "I think it's my favorite."

"And you like when I read to you?"

"It's easier to enjoy books when they're read to me, especially by you." Harry agreed.

"Then let's make a deal, hmm? For every hour we work on your homework, I'll read to you from any book of your choosing for an hour."

"An hour minimum?" Harry asked.

"A half hour, at the very least." Severus compromised. "How about it?"

"Alright," Harry nodded, a mixture or excited and annoyed at the deal, "That sounds fair."

"I'm going to hold you to it, Harry." Severus warned gently.

"I'm going to hold you to it, too." Harry grinned. "But can we take a break? We've been at it for hours…"

"Alright, I'll read to you for a bit. Go grab a snack."


	75. Chapter 75

It was 5:33 in the morning before Severus decided to sit up and get ready for the day; it being the ninth of January, he'd decided to treat himself to a bit of a lie in as he knew the second the Malfoy's and children woke up he'd be bombarded with birthday celebrations and without a second to himself. But it wasn't as if he didn't appreciate the attention, he did, rather it was just that he was nervous to spend his first birthday with the two new children in his life. But he couldn't push it off forever, and he figured it best to squeeze in a few hours of quiet time before the Malfoy's arrived and woke the children to begin the merriments.

As it was, Severus was certain he detected the scent of chocolate crepes in the air which very likely meant that Harry had already risen and prepared Severus's favorite breakfast to commemorate the day of his birth. So quickly getting dressed, Severus shuffled his way out of his bedroom to keep Harry company until everyone else arrived or awoke.

"Happy birthday!"

Severus nearly jumped out of his skin as he stepped into the living room mid-yawn, with his eyes closed. What he had assumed would just be Harry, was his whole entire family; Harry, Hermione, Draco, Narcissa, and Lucius, all awake and fully dressed with large smiles on their faces.

"Just how early did you people wake up?" Severus yawned.

"Scare you?" Hermione teased, rushing up to wrap him in a bear hug.

"Hardly." Severus fibbed, kissing the top of her head.

"Liar." Draco accused, yawning loudly as he hugged Severus's other side.

"How long have you kids been awake?" Severus smiled, fighting back his own yawn.

"We stayed up all night so we could surprise you." Harry answered, shyly shuffling over to Severus to deliver his own hug.

"Honestly, there was no need to do that." Severus insisted kindly, allowing a full-fledged smile to grace his face.

"Oh, hush." Narcissa said primly, eyes twinkling.

"You only allow yourself one day of pampering the whole year." Lucius lightly scolded.

"I may only allow one day a year for coddling, but you two certainly make sure it's much more than that." Severus grouched, without heat.

"You three go and wash up for breakfast," Narcissa requested, "Let Lucius and I get in on all the loving."

"Especially you, Harry." Lucius added. "You've made a mess of yourself cooking breakfast."

At those words Severus looked down in the midst of the trio hugging him and finally noticed the sticky goo coating Harry's face and flour covering his hair. With a sheepish grin Harry scrambled off to wash up, Draco and Hermione hurrying after him.

"Get over here." Lucius smiled.

"If I must." Severus sighed, dragging his feet over to Lucius in an overly dramatic manner.

"Brat."

Lucius muttered, wrapping Severus in a hug so tight in stole Severus's breathe for a few seconds interval.

"You're getting so big." Lucius harassed, holding tightly to Severus as he mercilessly ruffled his hair.

"So are you." Severus growled, trying to wriggle away from the blonde.

"You behave," Narcissa warned, "Or I'll make your birthday smackings extra hard."

"People over seventeen don't get birthday smackings." Severus retorted.

SMACK!"

A light smack peppered the seat of his trousers and Severus carefully angled his bum away from Narcissa and her damnable wooden spoon.

"They do if they're brats." She laughed, finally tugging Severus away from Lucius's arm hold and into a big hug.

"You two practically raised me," Severus returned, "So it's your fault I turned out this way."

"Settle down, Severus. I still have the spoon in my hand."

"Did I mention how lovely you look this morning?" Severus grinned.

"There's a good boy." Narcissa praised, patting his cheek.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Breakfast had turned out to be a wonderful, delicious, and happy affair. The crepes, strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sauce were magnificent and the coffee had been brewed to perfection- all curtesy of Harry.

And better yet, everyone was getting on perfectly. And while Severus was not allowed to wash up the dishes, Draco (prim as he was about 'menial labor') washed up the dishes immediately- the way Severus liked them to be done.

"My word, Harry," Narcissa praised, "That was absolutely delicious."

"Indeed." Lucius agreed, nodding his head appreciatively in the boy's direction.

"Harry is quite the chef." Severus agreed, tossing a sixth napkin at said boy. "It's a shame his table manners aren't as up to par."

"Sorry." Harry mumbled, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"Harry!" Narcissa scolded. "You use your napkin!"

"Whoops." Harry grinned, swiping his ridiculously messy face with his napkin.

"It's alright, Harry." Severus granted. "Just try to remember next time."

"It's time to open your presents, Daddy." Hermione spoke up, jumping up from her seat.

"Go and sit in your chair, Severus." Draco insisted. "We'll bring them to you."

"Am I an invalid now?" Severus asked, light-naturedly.

"If you don't hurry and sit I might make you into one." Narcissa offered, pushing him into the living room.

Severus shook his head but slumped down into his chair, kicking up the footrest and enjoying the coddling. And although he'd never say that aloud, he made certain that the people who cared about him knew so. So with a smile on his face, he patiently allowed the three children to pile gifts into his lap.

"Open them, Daddy!" Hermione insisted, from her perch atop Lucius's lap.

"Alright, alright." Severus pacified. "Let's see, which one should I open first?"

Perusing the pile, and avoiding the names on the tags, Severus decided on a parcel wrapped in white paper decorated with bubbling cauldrons full of several different types of potions. Smirking at the absurd juvenility, he held the package up.

"This one looks promising. Who's it from?"

"Me." Harry answered, looking immensely proud of himself.

Severus nodded in acknowledgment and carefully removed the paper without tearing it. As much as Lucius had tried to rid Severus of that habit, he'd refused to grow out of it and tear at his gifts without restraint- even when he had been a small child of 11.

"What've you got here?" Severus asked.

Removing a silver picture frame from the mass of paper, he flipped it over and nearly dropped it in surprise. He could hardly believe his eyes. It was muggle photograph, the kind he preferred, of him and Lily. Smiling widely, the two ten year olds sat on a large branch atop the largest tree in town (having been assisted with their magic, of course). Arm wrapped around each other, the pair grinned downward to where Lily's mother waited for them to stop laughing so that she could take the photo.

"Harry…where-where did you get this?" Severus choked out.

"It was in a shoe box full of photos that Hagrid gave me. It was my Mum's. I didn't know that boy was you until Hermione told me."

"Harry, I can't take this. You should have it." Severus asserted.

"But I have hundreds of photos." Harry argued. "This picture is yours. Mum would have wanted you to have it."

"Thank you, Harry." Severus swallowed. "It's wonderful."

"Daddy, are you okay?" Hermione worried.

"I'm fine, Cherub." Severus soothed, smiling at her.

Grabbing a box wrapped in emerald, he hefted it from the pile.

"Let's continue, should we?"

"That one's mine." Draco explained. "Be careful when you open it." He warned.

Severus heeded the advice and worked slowly until his efforts revealed a ceramic, black panther (his favorite animal) with glowing red eyes. So perfectly detailed was the piece of art, Severus could see the individual strands of fur.

"Draco, you're turning into quite the artist!" Severus admired. "You'll have no problem at all getting your work into galleries."

"Thanks, Severus." Draco smiled. "That took me forever to sculpt."

"It's much appreciated." Severus assured, taking another gift from the pile.

"That one is mine!" Hermione commented. "C'mon, open it!"

Severus willingly obliged and soon came face to face with a wonderfully soft emerald cloak with a reversible silver underside. Running his hands through the soft fabric, he smiled as it emitted his favorite scent- mint.

"Hermione, where on earth did you find such a cloak?"

"I made it." She replied. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. You're a wonderful seamstress."

"Alright, our turn." Lucius declared, carefully settling a large box in Severus's lap.

"And for the love of all that is good, do not shake that box." Narcissa warned.

"What the hell did you get me?" Severus demanded. "And why do I hear growling?"

"Just open it." Lucius sighed, rolling his eyes.

"This box is hissing. I'm not sure I want to open it."

"Do you really think we'd gift you something dangerous to your health? On your birthday?" Narcissa demanded. "Open it, Sev. Please."

"If you say so." Severus relented, nervously lifting the lid of the box.

Meowwww!

Severus blinked, staring down at a very fluffy, pitch-black kneazle with brilliant, large, purple eyes. Fur knotted and tangled, and sporting a half-missing left ear, the adult animal locked eyes with Severus and tilted its head.

"We found her shivering outside of Borgin and Burkes, I think that shady animal shop threw her to the curb because she was ill."

"That's horrid!" Hermione gasped.

Severus held a tentative hand out to the creature, allowing the pet to sniff his fingers. He was pleasantly surprised when the black fur-ball jumped unto his chest and began to purr, rubbing up beneath his chin with its poofy tail wagging happily.

"We figured you'd take her." Lucius offered. "You've been getting on well with Crookshanks, and you've never had a familiar."

"What makes you think she'll be my familiar, and not just a pet?"

"Trust us," Narcissa smirked, "She's your familiar."

"I know you well enough to promise you that." Lucius agreed.

Severus ran a hand down the beasts half fluffy, half matted fur and considered that prospect of being a pet owner. The kneazle did seem to like him, and she even carried herself in much the same manner Severus did. And he couldn't turn the pet away, not when she was a gift and not when she didn't have anywhere else to go.

"Thank you, Narcissa, thank you, Lucius." He expressed, scratching the animal beneath her chin.

"What're you naming her, Daddy?" Hermione pestered.

"Mongrel." Severus suggested, jokingly.

"Meow."

The kneazle answered primly and Severus swore she nodded, as if confirming that such a name was not only acceptable but well-received. With a loud purr, she curled up in Severus's lap and set about licking his left hand with a furor.

"She likes you, Daddy!" Hermione grinned.

"Uh, is Crookshanks fixed?" Draco dared to ask, gesturing at the orange half-kneazle who was regarding Mongrel with a curious look on his face.

"Yes, don't worry." Hermione giggled. "We don't have to worry about that."


	76. Chapter 76

Hermione still found the Slytherin common room as impressive as she had when she was four and the wonder still had not faded now that she was back to fourteen and had spent many hours within its walls. She loved the green lamps and tinge of the magnificent room. She adored the low-backed black and green leather sofas, and the kills that were strewn throughout. But most of all she loved the tapestries depicted the adventures of famous Medieval Slytherins.

"You stare at that tapestry of Salazar summoning the inferi like you're in love with the man." Aster snarked, draped across a chaise lounge.

"Maybe she is." Astoria suggested. "He did kind of look like Theo when he was younger."

"What?" Draco sat up, squinting at the wall-hanging. "He does! Bloody hell, I can't unsee it!"

"It's the hair!" Hermione insisted. "Theo has lovely hair. And apparently so did Salazar."

"What is with your obsession with my hair?"

Theo grinned down at her, dark eyes twinkling as he kissed her temple. Blushing heavily, Hermione kissed his chin- relieved that he finally asked to court her so they could be an official couple. And if the flowers that came with the super romantic midnight proposal hadn't been enough, the emerald ring on her finger was.

"It's not just your hair, it's your eyes, too." She breathed, leaning heavily into his shoulder.

"Well, NeeNee, I love everything about you." Theo murmured into her ear, calling her by the pet name he'd given her the moment they'd begun courting.

Apparently, despite being extremely quiet to begin with, Theo's soft muttering hadn't gone unheard from the group that was clearly concentrating great amounts of effort into eavesdropping. The proof of that coming from the over exaggerated noise of disgust coming from Aster and the looks of unbridled amusement the boys were throwing at Theo.

"That is so sweet!" Astoria gushed. "You're so lucky to have a guy so open about showing his affection."

"What am I?" Draco huffed, jokingly tickling Astoria's side.

"You're plenty affectionate," She pacified, "I only meant that Theo doesn't hold anything back, not even it front of us his mates."

"I couldn't hold anything back from such an amazing girl." Theo insisted, kissing Hermione's hand. "All I am is hers."

"Theo." Hermione gushed, pressing closer into him.

"Scale it back a bit Romeo, you too Juliet." Aster groaned. "We can only take so much of your displays."

"Oh, stuff it, Aster." Astoria scolded mildly. "Hasn't your boyfriend been keeping you happy?"

"Which one?" Aster asked, only half-joking.

"Any of them?" Hermione suggested.

"No, I've scared the first two off, and the other one started to bore me."

"So that leaves you with who?" Draco teased.

"None, I'm single." Aster shrugged.

"Is that possible?" Hermione gasped. "Aster Burke single?"

"This will be the first time in years!" Astoria gaped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Aster snorted. "It's me who does the breaking up."

"Are you sure that you're okay…" Hermione pressed delicately, ever aware of Aster's hair-trigger temper.

"I'm FINE!" Aster growled. "I don't need a man to complete me! I don't need anyone to be happy! I'm fine on my own!"

Hermione nodded, but she did not believe the blonde girl. Aster may be a fantastic liar, but Hermione had been gaining practice from the best liar alive (her father) and she knew enough to understand that Aster was not a girl who went single. Something was off, and everyone else knew it as well- even if they did nod along with her.

But it wouldn't do to press Aster. The girl would only push people away or lash out in an even angrier manner. And while Hermione had never been on the receiving end of such an attack, she had been warned that the purple-eyed girl would react like a cornered animal. Perhaps she could get her alone, and get Aster talking on her own terms. Hermione had broken through to her father, and he was even more aloof and damaged than Aster. And while she had been four when she'd done so, she remembered how she went about it and she recalled all the things she'd done at this age to open her father up.

"Where are we eating when we go to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Draco, always eager to ease the tension between friends, broke the silence with a well-placed a question.

"Hog's Head Inn like usual?" Theo offered.

"I thought we agreed to do something new." Hermione argued kindly.

"Oh! We could try Madam Puttifoots! I-"

"No!"

The idea was immediately shot down by the four others, but bubbly Astoria remained undeterred with her enthusiasm.

"Honeydukes? Three broomsticks?" She babbled. "But the Three Broomsticks will be full of Gryffindors. And Honeydukes is fine but I'd rather have actual food. Or, we could just eat a big breakfast before we go? Oh! A picnic! We could have a picnic!"

"That sounds great!" Hermione cut her off before she could continue her chatter.

"Sure." Theo agreed. "Doesn't matter to me."

"As long as there's food." Draco shrugged. "I'm sure Dobby will be more than willing to pack a basket for us."

"What do I care?" Aster sighed. "As long as we do something fun."

"Of course we'll do something fun!" Astoria insisted. "It's your birthday, Saturday!"

"I'm aware of the date of my birth, thanks." Aster muttered.

"Someone's crabby." Astoria muttered, her good nature having been taxed by the passive-aggressive and openly snarky comments Aster had been giving her all day.

"Sod off." Aster grouched, rising to her feet.

"Don't leave." Theo sighed. "Come on, let's not fight."

"You can sod off, too." Aster snapped. "I'm going to the library. I won't interrupt your love fests any longer."

"Aster!" Hermione gasped. "What is wrong with you!?"

"Why don't you tell me!?" Aster barked. "Everyone else finds it easy to point out my flaws. Why don't you!?"

"Nobody is pointing out your flaws." Draco said softly. "People are too terrified too."

"You don't know anything!" Aster yelled, turning on her heels to stomp from the common room.

"Aster!"

Hermione was prepared to rush after her but Theo stopped her with a hand on her sleeve.

"Let her go, Hermione. She needs to cool down." He explained.

"She'll be back to normal by supper." Astoria promised.

"If you say so." Hermione sighed, still very uncertain.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Aster slumped over the least cracked chamber pot in the abandoned Slytherin bathroom, struggling to remain upright as she tried to force the rest of the contents of her stomach out into the receptacle. If she could only finish throwing up, she'd feel much better. Feeling a sudden wave of nausea she attempted to hold her thick locks back but found it was impossible to remain upright with only one hand supporting her. So groaning loudly as the vomit coated her hair, she squeezed her eyes shut and willed it all to be over.

She didn't need anyone, no friends, no boyfriends, and definitely not a pair of lousy parents incapable of remembering their only daughter's birthday. She didn't need her rotten younger brothers either, despicable little terrors that they were. She'd been a princess for years before they arrived and now she was nothing but a bargaining tool used to broker deals between other pure-blood families with the promise of her hand in marriage. Marriages she didn't want, or need. She could manage perfectly well on her, she'd been doing it since she was five. And Aster Burke was no one's property. She'd sooner hang herself than be given to some obnoxious boy- somebody who'd very likely forget her birthday as well.

"Aster?"

Aster sucked in a breath and forced herself to stop shaking, if she was completely silent she might just get lucky and Hermione would leave. She didn't need anyone, she didn't need anyone, she didn't need anyone.

"I know somebody's in here." Hermione huffed. "And I can tell it's you by the smell of your perfume."

"Go away." Aster grunted, helplessly slurring her words.

But the Gryffindor/Slytherin did the exact opposite and came closer, carefully pulling back her hair and holding onto it despite the disgusting fact that it was coated in the partially digested remains of her previous meals.

"How much did you have to drink?" Hermione pressed, kicking the nearly empty bottle of firewhiskey at her feet.

"All of it." Aster said dryly, slumping backward into Hermione's stomach.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked softly.

"Nothing's wrong." Aster lied. "Nothing to talk about."

"I can keep a secret." Hermione insisted. "I give you my word I'll never reveal to the world that Aster Burke has feelings. You'd just deny it anyways and tell everyone I was lying."

"Why're you so nice to me, 'Mione?" Aster mumbled, closing her eyes. "I treat you like shit."

"You treat everyone like shit." Hermione teased, wiping at the vomit on Aster's chin with a handkerchief.

"But the Slytherins have to stick by me…you don't."

"I love you, bitch." Hermione laughed. "I actually enjoy your caustic personality."

Aster felt her bottom lip quiver and bit down on it hard. Hermione stayed by her side, even after admitting she was a bitch. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to. Why the hell did that mean so much to her?

"You're lucky." Aster slurred. "Even when…you're real parents didn't want you…you get to have…Severus. I don't have anybody…."

"Aster…" Hermione sympathized, squeezing her shoulder.

"My parents…forget my birthday every year….I bet you they don't-don't even know what color my eyes are, or what my favorite color is, what kinds of food I like….I'm just a…bartering tool."

The tears fell freely now, hot and salty and without permission or restraint. Shuddering with sobs, she pressed all her weight backward into Hermione's stomach, burying her face in her hands. It had been so long since she'd cried…it almost felt good.

"You're eyes are purple," Hermione breathed, "Your favorite color, though you'd never admit it, is dark pink, and your favorite food is peanut butter. You love to sing and you hate pumpkin juice. You want to open an orphanage, and you think freckles are adorable."

Aster sniffed, trying to keep herself from losing her lunch as Hermione spoke the truth.

"I might have not known you for a very long time, but I know you. And I consider us mates, best mates…sister's even. And I care about you." Hermione pacified. "You're Aster Burke, you're witty, sarcastic, brilliant, and caring and you are not a battering tool."

"Hermione-"

Aster didn't get a chance to deliver her words of praise; instead of words of thanks, a stream of puke launched out of her mouth and all over the front of her pajamas. And as unfortunate as that was, it seemed to be the final bit of food in her stomach as she felt much better afterward- disregarding the embarrassment, of course.

"Was that some sarcastic reply to my sentiment?" Hermione teased.

"I think that was the bacon from breakfast, actually." Aster groaned, keeping her hands off the mess on her chest.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Hermione smiled. "You can spend the night."

"It's three a.m." Aster protested.

"Which means my dad will be asleep. Even if he isn't he won't mind."

"You're gonna have to help me walk…"

"I know." Hermione sighed. "Just try not to get too much vomit on me."


	77. Chapter 77

Zelda's Beauty Salon was nearly packed that February afternoon, but fortunately Hermione had been clever and reserved their appointment weeks in advance in preparation for Aster's birthday. Which meant that while Aster, Hermione, and Astoria got their pedicures and manicures, several envious witches sent harsh scowls their way as they waited for an appointment to open up.

"Feeling better?" Hermione whispered to Aster, leaning across her chair to do so.

"Much." The blonde agreed, relaxing into her seat.

"What color are you two getting your toes done?" Astoria interrupted, oblivious to their whispered conversation as the workers prepared to start their pedicures.

"I'm getting emerald tipped." Hermione replied, wriggling the fingers that had been done in the same fashion in her direction.

"Silver tipped." Aster shrugged, half-asleep in her chair.

"You're like the Slytherin twins!" Astoria gushed. "I'll get black-tipped so I can match!"

"Oh, that'll go well with your fingernails, too." Hermione encouraged.

"Thanks," Astoria smiled, "I had them painted mercury to match Draco's eyes."

"I need less romantic friends." Aster groaned, making a face.

"You and Ron would get along perfectly…" Hermione muttered conspiratorially.

"And he's a ginger! You love that!" Astoria agreed. "And he is a pureblood…so your parents can't even be that upset."

"When have I ever cared about what my parents think?"

"I just meant that you won't get murdered if you chose to date Ron for a spell." Astoria explained.

"Has it ever occurred to you ninny's that I might like to be single for a bit?" Aster sighed.

"It might," Astoria smirked, "If the exact opposite hasn't been the reality for the past two years."

"Fair enough." Aster allowed. "But what makes you two think I'd choose Ron Weasley? He is a Gryffindor."

"But he's also sarcastic and blunt." Hermione pointed out.

"He's practically you, but only with a-"

"Astoria!"

Hermione and Aster scolded at the same time, lightly smacking both of Astoria's arms in tandem- which was easy as the younger girl sat in the middle of them.

"I was going to say Y chromosome!" Astoria chuckled. "Clear up the filth from your minds!"

"Like hell you were." Aster laughed.

"And who are you to tell us two virgins to clear the filth from our minds?" Hermione teased.

"I'll have you know that my virginity is intact, thank you very much."

"You are such a little liar!" Hermione countered. "Draco deflowered you on my bed."

"Shit." Astoria muttered. "You really do remember everything, don't you?"

"All of it." Hermione agreed. "Which has been a blessing as much as it's been a curse."

"Wait- does that you mean you saw Draco's-"

"No!" Hermione hissed at Aster, blushing deeply. "He was on top, so it was just a view of his pasty white arse."

"He's got such a nice bum, doesn't he?" Astoria cooed. "It's so full and firm."

"Please, stop." Aster gagged.

"Please." Hermione agreed. "Draco's my cousin."

"You'll have to get used to it, Hermione. We're going to be cousins-in-law eventually."

"That doesn't mean you have to share such…personal details with me."

"Oh, like you don't think Theo's bum is fantastic?" Astoria countered.

"It's nothing special," Hermione shrugged, "It's quite bony actually. But his hair is to die for. And his eyes."

"If you two don't quit, I'm going to AK myself right here." Aster threatened, pointing her wand directly at her temple.

"Can you wait to off yourself until after the picnic?" Hermione pleaded. "Dobby packed apple tarts, and I've been thinking of them all day."

"Nice to know apple tarts take precedent over my wellbeing."

"Not just any apple tarts, Aster. Cinnamon apple tarts." Hermione clarified.

"With delicious, gooey icing on top." Astoria finished.

"I've been an awful influence on you two." Aster sighed, rolling her eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pedicures and manicures finished to perfection, the trio of pampered girls swung by Honeydukes to pick up Draco and Theo and in the process managed to pick up Harry and Ron. Having done that, the group of seven made their way throughout the village of Hogsmeade until they found a promising spot for their picnic directly behind the Hog's Head Inn.

So clearing away the snow with a simple spell, Hermione ordered the heated blanket to be laid out perfectly. Once her orders had been quickly carried out by Theo and Draco, she flicked her wand once more and crafted an igloo over the blanket to keep the wind from battering them and to provide a bit of privacy.

"My word," Theo murmured into her ear, "You really are brilliant, aren't you?"

"Of course she is." Aster drawled, ducking into the igloo and plopping down gracefully.

"Sometimes I wish you didn't have supersonic hearing." Theo sighed, gesturing for Astoria and Hermione to enter as well.

"Sometimes?" Astoria scoffed. "Try all the time."

"It's not my fault I'm not deaf." Aster retorted. "Although if I have to keep standing next to Hannah Abbot during choir practice I might be soon enough."

Draco shuddered as he ducked inside. "Tell me about it. How the hell has she not been kicked out already?"

"Because she sings so bloody softly no one can hear her except, unfortunately, me." Aster complained. "If that silly than nit sings any higher, she'll drive poor Fang into insanity."

"Poor Fang?" Draco snorted. "That thing is a beast."

"Or sod off, Draco." Hermione scolded. "Fang's probably the one animal in Hagrid's keeping that hasn't tried to kill you."

"He nearly took my arm off!" Draco argued.

"Not purposely." Astoria said softly.

"You were playing tug-o-war with an animal that weighs twice as much as you." Theo added. "What did you think would happen?"

"Well everyone kept saying he was gentle giant." Draco growled. "I figured that meant he'd know how to control himself."

"That was stupidity on your part." Hermione replied. "Not Fang's."

"You really don't have much luck with animals, do you?" Harry asked.

"He doesn't." Theo agreed. "Even his father's favorite peacock hates him."

"In Draco's defense Ivory is an awful animal to begin with." Hermione explained. "I thought Daddy was finally going to strangle him Christmas Eve when he took a bit out of his hand."

"You weren't the only one." Draco growled. "I swear, Mum would've cooked him if she didn't love Dad so much."

"You have peacocks running about your garden?" Ron asked, in disbelief.

"Albino peacocks." Astoria corrected. "And yes, several of them."

Ron shook his head, shoveling a peanut butter sandwich into his mouth. "Sounds a bit excessive to me…" He muttered.

"So does your food intake." Draco retorted, throwing Ron shade.

"I swear, if you eat all the peanut buttery goodness in that basket- I'll reach down your throat, grab you by your tonsils, and rip you inside out."

Aster threatened, effectively breaking up the tension that had been building between Ron and Draco.

"That's horrifically graphic." Ron praised, his voice mingled with a bit of fear.

"And terribly painful, I'm sure." Aster added, removing the jar of peanut butter from the basket and sticking a spoon into it.

"Lovely, Aster." Theo sighed. "I'm sure no one else wanted any of that."

"There's still the sandwiches left." Aster shrugged. "That is, if Ginger doesn't scarf them all up in that vacuum he calls a mouth."

"I'm hungry." Ron protested.

"You're always hungry." Harry replied, nibbling on a crisp.

"Don't worry, Ron," Hermione comforted, "Nasty insults are just the way Aster shows affection."

"You'll know you're really special if she hits you." Theo remarked, completely serious.

"So what does it mean if she 'rips me inside out'?" Ron grinned, winking cheekily in Aster's direction.

"Cheeky bastard!" Aster growled. "You want to lose that sodding eye?"

"It all depends on what that level of physical contact means." Ron grinned.

"If she gets to the point where she's ripping you inside out and removing body parts, I think it means she's ready for marriage." Astoria commented. "Or at least the step that comes before it."

"Is it actually physically possible to rip someone inside out?" Harry questioned, furrowing his brow.

"Not completely." Aster answered. "And least not physically. If you want to go about turning someone inside out all the way you'll need to use Versura Corporis."

"Bloody hell! There's actually a spell for that?" Ron exclaimed.

"Oh yeah." Aster nodded, excitement in her voice. "It's really nasty…casting it will get you locked up in Azkaban for at least seventy years."

"The people who come up with this shite are mental." Ron muttered. "Why would they murder somebody when they can just ruin their enemy's lives and stay out of prison?"

"I….think I don't hate you as much as the other Gryffindor's." Aster commented, giving Ron a peculiar look.

"Shite!" Hermione gasped.

"Aster!" Astoria inhaled, clasping a hand to her chest.

"You better appreciate those words, Ron." Draco insisted.

"You'll never hear them again." Theo added, still looking shell-shocked.

"Maybe we should raise a toast to commemorate such an occasion." Astoria jested, mockingly raising a can of Pepsi.

"What're we toasting?"

Blaise Zabini's voice carried into the igloo, and Hermione immediately went on guard along with Harry and Ron. While Blaise hadn't been intentionally cruel lately, he still turned up his nose whenever Hermione walked by and the fact remained that he hadn't been invited to this little picnic.

"Blaise…what are you doing here?" Draco said coldly. "Last I checked, you'd sided with Pansy and her lot."

"Oh, please let us in."

Siobhan O'Reardon's pale face came into view beside Blaise's, her mass of ebony curls tangled from the wind and partially obscuring her soft, blue eyes. Hufflepuff that she was, she wore a friendly smile so large the few freckles on her nose moved as it scrunched up.

"Siobhan?" Hermione asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," The yellow clad girl blushed furiously, "Blaise and I were ambushed by some not so nice people…and we thought you might let us hide out in here….?"

"What're you even doing with Blaise?" Aster demanded. "You're a Hufflepuff."

"Look, let us in and we'll explain." Blaise pleaded.

"Please," Siobhan begged, "They're catching up on us."

"Who?" Ron asked, exasperation in her voice.

"The not so nice people." She frowned, her dimples disappearing.

"Get in here." Astoria smiled, grabbing Siobhan's hand. "C'mon."

"Oh, thank you." The Irish girl praised, hugging Astoria tightly.

"Is anyone going to explain what's going on?" Harry asked patiently.

"Oh, sure!" Siobhan agreed, grabbing hold of Blaise's dark hand. "I'd be happy to!"

"Are you two…together?" Hermione questioned, completely puzzled by this change of events.

"Oh, yes!" The pale girl nodded, eyes twinkling. "For quite a while actually."

"What?!" Draco gasped.

"We've managed to keep it secret for months." Blaise explained, eyes downcast. "But Maleficent walked in on Siobhan and I…talking…in a closet-"

"Talking?" Aster snorted.

"Fine...Snogging." Blaise corrected, glaring at a bored looking Aster.

"And now we've got a whole slew of nasty people following after us, saying all sorts of foul things. They're even throwing condoms at us!" Siobhan squeaked.

"If you were only snogging why are they throwing condoms at you?" Ron teased.

"What we were doing in the closet is not the point!" Blaise snapped. "The point is that a dozen of my housemates have turned on me!"

"Doesn't feel too nice, does it?" Draco hissed.

"Oh, let's not fight." Siobhan pleaded, putting a hand on Blaise's large bicep.

"We're not fighting," Blaise said softly, "Draco's…right. I was a prat."

"What was that?" Draco asked. "I couldn't hear you."

"I SAID YOU WERE right…" Blaise muttered.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Draco yelled.

"YOU WERE RIGHT!" Blaise growled. "I'm sorry! I thought I could sit on the fence with the whole 'Hermione issue' and I can't. And I'd rather be on your side than the side of the handful of arseholes masquerading as my mates."

"He really is sorry." Siobhan added. "He's just worried about his mother's temper, you know."

"You can hardly blame him for that," Astoria nodded, "His mother has gone through seven husbands rather mysteriously…"

"But you're the only child." Harry frowned. "And the sole heir…Surely she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize you?"

"Being the heir doesn't mean shite when your parents are young enough to have another baby." Aster scowled.

"And even if that weren't the case, you can still get your arse beat into 'submission.'" Astoria frowned, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry, Theo." Hermione sighed. "Nobody deserves that."

"I'm sorry, too." Blaise replied. "I've been a prat."

"Let's agree to wipe the slate clean." Hermione offered.

"Deal." Blaise nodded.

"But just remember if you cross us again, I'll bring down the entirety on my wrath on your black arse." Aster warned. "I don't forgive twice."

"So…what we're they even saying?" Ron asked. "It's not like Siobhan isn't a pureblood."

"They called me a Taig and told me I was a mental catholic." Siobhan frowned. "They kept suggesting I hang myself with my rosary."

"That's racist!" Harry gasped. "Not to mention downright nasty."

"But that's not all," Siobhan's eyes filled with tears, "They called Blaise a nigger and asked me what I was doing with such a coon! They even threatened to lynch him!"

"What!?" Draco's face flushed red. "Who?! I'll flay them alive!"

"I don't want to start anything…" Siobhan protested softly. "I'm sure they'll settle down once they get used to the idea of me being with Blaise."

"Not if they're Slytherins!" Aster argued. "We don't get over things! Ever!"

"We're just lucky Siobhan's a hufflepuff. Her house has been nothing but supportive." Blaise grumbled, violently biting into a chocolate biscuit.

"Give me some names, Blaise." Draco repeated. "We'll take care of this the Slytherin way."

"I'm not sure I'm very comfortable with this…Can't we just report them to the Headmaster?" Siobhan pleaded gently.

"He won't do anything," Theo answered, "Not when neither you or Blaise are Gryffindors."

"Bon-Bon-" Blaise soothed, pulling her close. "I'll make sure we show some restraint."

"Just don't kill anybody…or seriously mangle." Siobhan relented. "And I don't want to hear any stories about this, afterward."


	78. Chapter 78

"Sirius, you're overreacting!" Remus repeated, for the fifth time that evening as Sirius drug him through the corridors of Hogwarts.

"Overreacting?! OVERREACTING!?" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation. "You think I'm overreacting!?"

Remus blinked at him, and nodded. "Yes, actually."

"You don't think it's odd that Harry is hanging about Snivellus?" Sirius erupted, giving his mate a disbelieving look.

"Hermione is Severus's daughter, now." Remus explained slowly. "It only makes sense that Harry is spending time around Severus as a result."

Sirius snorted. "That whole adoption thing seems kind of perverted, if you ask me."

"Really, Padfoot." Remus leveled him with a look. "Hermione seems happy, and Severus seems a lot less angry than usual since the adoption."

"Good for him," Sirius sneered, "I still don't Harry around a death eater."

"A former death eater," Remus whispered, "And keep it down, were in a school!"

"It's the truth!" Sirius snarled, glaring down at the map to Snape's office that Albus had drawn him.

"It's not." Remus rebuked harshly. "And you know it."

"Are you telling me that you honestly trust, Snape?" Sirius demanded, stomping down the steps to the dungeons.

"Yes." Remus said firmly. "And not just because Albus does."

"Just because Tonks is getting along with Narcissa, doesn't mean you have to kiss Snivellus's arse all the time."

"Do we have to do this, Sirius?" Remus sighed. "Can't you just write to Harry and ask how he is? Instead of confronting him like a bloody madman?"

"Now, now, Remus, that would hardly be Marauder behavior, would it?" Sirius teased, playfully punching his shoulder.

"Just don't get physical." Remus sighed. "Not when you're the one evading his personal space."

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius waved a dismissive hand, and stopped, "We're here."

"Behave yourself." Remus warned. "Please."

"We'll see." Sirius shrugged, pounding on the blank expanse of wall.

"You'll be the death of me." Remus groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Lighten up, buddy. The fun is only just starting." Sirius smiled, pounding on the wall again.

"Sirius- be patient." Remus pleaded.

"Well what the hell could he be doing that's so important he can't answer his damn door?"

"Brewing?" Remus suggested. "The Wolfsbane potion that I'll need in a few day-"

Remus was cut off by a thick wooden door suddenly appearing and opening a crack, revealing a sliver of Hermione's face. Opening recognizing the two visitors, she frowned in confusion.

"Remus! Sirius! What're you doing here?" She demanded. "Daddy didn't invite you!"

"No, but Albus did." Sirius retorted with a grin. "So let us in."

"You weren't invited." Hermione repeated firmly. "This is Daddy's apartment. Just because the headmaster told you were welcome doesn't mean you are- no offense."

"Last I checked Albus was in charge of the school." Sirius grinned. "So either way, I'm coming in."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Hermione warned, eyes narrowing as she watched Sirius stretch a hand toward the doorknob.

"Why no- ARGH!" Sirius withdrew his hand from the knob as a burning sensation coursed through his body.

"I warned you." Hermione said softly.

"Can you at least have Severus come to the door?" Remus intervened. "Before Sirius does something stupid?"

"Daddy's actually busy right now." Hermione frowned.

"Who's at the door?"

Sirius glared as a boy, who was very clearly the Malfoy heir, pressed his face besides Hermione's and peered out at him and Remus.

"What're you doing here?" Draco demanded.

"I'd like to see Harry." Sirius growled.

"Well, he's choking right at the moment." The blonde drawled.

"Draco- you prat!" Hermione scolded, thumping across the back of his head.

"Ow! You cow!" Draco grunted, shoving her with his shoulder.

"Hey you little shite, don't you touch her!"

Sirius warned, reaching out to push the boy away from Hermione. But Hermione beat him to it, shoving the skinny boy so forcefully he toppled forward to the floor and brought her down with him. Which conveniently caused the door to swing open wider.

"Knock it off you two!" Severus's voice barked, as Sirius jumped over the wrestling duo in front of the floor.

"What the hell are you doing to Harry?!" Sirius barked, stomping toward where Snape was busily thumping Harry on the back as the boy choked and spluttered- spitting out brown clouds.

Snape gave a slight start when he heard his voice, and glared heavily at him before turning back to Harry. Pulling out his wand, he pointed it at the teenager and yelled loudly.

"Resperit!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus finally relaxed as Harry expelled the last of the cinnamon he'd consumed as part of some sodding, brainless game he'd been playing with Hermione and Draco. Having been forced to jump out from the middle of a bath that was supposed to be calming, Severus had lost his cool to discover the thick layers of spice coating the carpet he'd just vacuumed and had begun to deliver a scathing tirade about stupidity when he finally realized Harry was choking.

"What the hell were you three thinking!?" Severus hollered, ignoring Black and Lupin for the moment. "You're FOURTH years! How the hell could you be so daft!?"

"It was just a game!" Draco protested. "Everyone's doing it."

"Harry nearly suffocated!" Severus barked. "And so could've you and Hermione! What if I wasn't here?" Severus continued. "If I EVER see you doing the sodding 'cinnamon challenge' again, you'll rue the day you were born!"

"Can I have some water?" Harry rasped, effectively calming Severus's ire.

"Have some milk instead." Severus suggested.

"We…drank all the milk already…" Draco blushed, pointing to a puddle of milk on the kitchen floor and the empty jug beside it.

"Then go and take a throat soothing potion- all of you!" He ordered. "And I expect this place cleaned up before you go to bed!"


	79. Chapter 79

It was only after the children had been exposed to a vigorous medical check-over of their throats, and given a generous helping of honey-filled tea, and the apartment cleaned with a few flourishes of Hermione's wand did Severus finally address the two intruders in his apartment.

"What're you doing here?" He growled, fingering the wand in his pocket.

"I came to see why my godson's been spending so much time around you." Black sneered.

"You couldn't have written to ask him yourself?" Severus demanded. "Instead of barging into my personal space?"

"Albus gave me-"

"I don't care if Albus gave you permission!" Severus barked. "He may run the school, but he certainly doesn't own it!"

"Sirius it's fine." Harry spoke up, his voice still gravelly. "We're getting along, plus Hermione lives here."

"What do you mean 'you're getting along?'" Black demanded hotly, causing Harry to flinch at the tone.

"I told you, Sirius, Severus has been in a much better humor since adopting Hermione." Remus muttered. "What part of that don't you understand?"

"You're telling me you're alright with Harry spending time with Snape?" Black exploded.

"Yes!" Remus yelled. "I am! And I'll have you know that Albus isn't as perfect a man as you think he is."

"What?" Black laughed. "Remus, what are you talking about? You don't mean that…"

"I do." Remus's face remained stony. "And before I say anything more on the matter I need to know that I can trust you."

"Trust me?" Black repeated, his smile faltering.

"To not lose your temper or go running your mouth." Severs assisted the werewolf.

"What's going on…?" Black demanded, his face blanching. "Remus, what're you telling me?"

"Draco, Harry!" Hermione interrupted. "Let's go and see Hagrid. He's got a unicorn he's healing!"

"A unicorn?" Draco drawled, rolling his eyes. "That doesn't sound interesting."

"He's got a few nifflers!" Hermione suggested.

"That should be fun!" Harry agreed, already heading toward the door.

"Just stay away from the fire crabs." Severus warned. "And the blast-ended skrewts.

"And Witherwings." Remus added. "Hagrid's got him back for a few days to de-tick him."

"How'd he get ticks?" Hermione frowned.

"Have you seen Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked. "No offense, Sirius."

"Let's do something else…" Draco suggested.

"Relax, Draco. I'm sure Witherwings isn't still angry…" Harry assured.

"Actually, hippogriffs are known to hold grudges." Severus drawled. "So keep away from him, Draco and you'll be fine."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus waited a good five minutes after the children had gone off, before he even bothered to address the two men standing somewhat-awkwardly in the midst of his apartment.

"You may sit." He allowed, gesturing at his sofa.

When both men uneasily took a seat on the furniture, Severus made his way over to his potions hutch and removed an extremely potent calming draught from within the neatly organized rows. It wouldn't do for Black to lose his cool and go stomping throughout the castle to hex Albus. Even if Severus was currently upset with the manipulative old man, he certainly didn't want to see him killed- which was exactly what the mutt would do if Severus didn't appropriately medicate him.

"Before we begin, Black, you need to drink this."

Severus ordered smoothly, tossing the vial to the freshly pardoned Gryffindor. With lightning-fast reflexes, Snuffles snaked out a hand and caught the tiny container in the palm of his hand.

"I don't think so." Black narrowed his eyes. "I'm not drinking anything you give me."

"It's a calming draught." Remus intervened. "We don't need you losing your cool and running your mouth."

"Moony!" Black looked insulted. "Whose side are you on?"

"You have a nasty temper, Padfoot." Remus replied gently. "That's all I'm saying."

"How do I know this isn't poison?"

Severus bit back a violent retort, knowing it wouldn't be conducive to the situation, and summoned the potion into his grasp. With a pointed look at Black, he uncorked the lid and took a large, very obvious swig of the concoction. When the anamagi gave him a begrudgingly satisfied look, Severus chucked it back at him and frowned slightly when the Marauder managed to keep it from braining him upside the head.

"Drink it, Padfoot." Remus begged. "Please."

"This is all bloody ridiculous if you ask me."

Black muttered, swiping the top of vial with his sleeve before putting it to his lips and downing it in a quick second. Wiping his mouth, he chucked the empty vessel back at Severus's face and scowled when Severus managed to catch it.

"What was this 'cinnamon challenge' nonsense you were chewing the children out about?"

Remus asked, cleverly working to allow the potion to take effect within Sirius's body. And while, given its extreme potency, the potion would only require a minute at most to begin its work, Severus decided to oblige the werewolf with an answer.

"Apparently the children in this school are mindless sheep and have taken to playing a game the Durmstrang students are fond of." Severus frowned. "The objective of the 'cinnamon challenge' nonsense, is to swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything."

"That doesn't sound very difficult." Sirius interrupted.

"Don't get any bright ideas, Black." Severus sneered. "As you could obviously see, it clogged up your godson's airways and he nearly choked."

"It was a good thing you were here while they were playing." Remus praised. "I can just imagine the flak you'd catch from everyone if Harry was killed by cinnamon."

"That'd be awfully ironic, don't you think?" Severus smirked. "To survive the killing curse only to be killed by a spice."

"That would just be sick and cruel." Remus shook his head. "Tragic, even."

"I've found that life is all of those things."

Severus mumbled, turning his gaze to Black who was now visibly relaxed with his shoulders slumped and a calm expression showing on his face. Deciding it was as good a time as any to begin, Severus leaned back in his chair and looked forward to the moment he could send the two Marauders on their way and get back to his bath.

"Shall we begin, gentlemen?" Severus questioned.

"That would be nice." Black snarked, with little heat as the potion did its work.

"What would you like to know?" Severus returned calmly.

"Why do you suddenly mistrust Albus?"

Sirius demanded, looking perturbed at the thought that Albus wasn't the perfectly innocent old man the majority of the world thought he was. Like a naïve little boy, Black worshiped the very ground Dumbledore walked on and it irritated Severus to no end.

"He's been displaying symptoms of a god complex lately." Severus explained. "Which is incredibly dangerous given how powerful a wizard he is. Should the unthinkable happen, Albus could prove just as dangerous as Voldemort."

"What the hell is a god complex?" Sirius wondered, looking hopelessly lost.

"A god complex is a belief characterized by feelings of infallibility and delusions of grandeur." Severus drawled. "A person with such a complex refuses to admit the possibility of their failure and may regard their opinions as unquestionably correct."

"But Albus is correct…" Sirius argued, confusion showing his eyes.

"Albus is correct about many things." Remus agreed. "But not about everything."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this." Sirius shook his head. "You're not switching sides, are you?"

"No!" Remus and Severus answered in unison.

"Believe it or not, Black, I'm on your side and I want the light to win. And we can't do that if we just blindly follow after someone. That's how I got into trouble the first war."

"You can't compare Albus to Voldemort!" Sirius barked, looking murderous.

"I have no delusions that Albus is on the same level as Voldemort." Severus pacified.

"But they do share some troublesome characteristics." Remus contributed.

"How can you say that?" Sirius exclaimed, running his hands through his hair.

"Both of them are extremely manipulative and judgmental." Severus clarified. "And they both have the nasty habit of seeing those under their leadership as pawns that can be discarded as they see fit."

"No." Sirius shook his head. "No. Albus isn't like that! He cares about people."

"I'm not saying he doesn't care." Severus said sadly. "But if Albus deems anybody's death or incarceration as necessary for the 'Greater Good' to survive, he'll be sure that his will is carried out at all cost."

"I don't believe you."

Sirius said simply, looking torn between believing his best mate and despising his nemesis for slandering his hero.

"Do you honestly believe Albus didn't know you were innocent?" Severus pressed. "That he didn't know who the real secret keeper was?"

"I…" Sirius continued to shake his head…"What…?"

"Black, he knew you innocent." Severus said slowly. "He knew. He told me."

The Dog's face fell and Severus felt a twinge of guilt that he quickly shoved away; He had never been under any responsibility to see to Black's well-being, so it was a hardly a betrayal carried out on his part. That particular bit of treachery fell on Albus's shoulder, not his.

"He must have had a good reason." Sirius insisted, hurt showing on his face.

"He had a reason," Remus agreed, "But whether or not it was a good one is up for debate."

"What…was the reason?" Black whispered.

"To keep you from interfering with Harry's placement." Severus answered. "Albus knew you'd want to take custody of Harry, and he took necessary steps to circumvent that."

"But why would he want to keep Harry from me?" Sirius whined. "I'm not that irresponsible."

"Albus sees himself as some sort of chess master," Severus continued, "You were just a pawn to be used and sacrificed as he saw fit."

"If it's for the greater good, than it was worth it." Sirius asserted. "We have to trust, Albus, we have too."

Severus could tell by the crestfallen look on Black's face that he didn't believe the lies he was feeding himself. And as Remus placed an arm around Sirius's shoulder to comfort him, Severus resolved to pull the Black heir out from his denial.

"Albus does the same for everyone, Black. Harry, too." Severus drawled. "Is that worth it?"

"Harry?" Black croaked, looking horrified.

"Albus is raising Harry like a pig for the slaughter." Severus said bluntly. "He believes Harry must die in order to defeat Voldemort and he does not care."

"What?"

"That's right, Black." Severus nodded. "And not only is that assertion incorrect, it's heartless. I am not sacrificing my well-being and putting my life on the line, just to have the boy die!"

"Why do you care?" Sirius breathed. "It can't still be because of Lily…"

"It can, and it is!" Severus barked. "And while at first I was doing it solely for her, I've grown to care for the boy in the interim. He's as much Lily's as he is James's."

"What do we do?" Sirius asked. "Voldemort is enough of a problem to deal with. We can't possibly stop Albus."

"Voldemort will not be a problem much longer." Severus dismissed. "Once that issue is dealt with, those who wish to can isolate themselves from Albus should they so choose. The war being over, he'll have no need of us anyways."

Sirius nodded, but a question still showed on his face and he was obviously waiting for Severus to finish so he could ask it.

"What do you mean that Voldemort will not be a problem much longer?"

"Precisely that." Severus shrugged. "Are you aware of what a Horcrux is?"


	80. Chapter 80

Harry was half-asleep, curled up in his large bed, by the time Severus made into the boy's room to begin his bedtime routine. Having grown weary of fighting the teenager every night over getting to bed at a decent time, power struggles that would often result in Harry throwing a teary tantrum, Severus had finally snapped and decided some sort of routine needed to be started before he ended up strangling Harry.

And while the occasional fit was still thrown, they were far and few in between- the only problems still remaining being that of Harry sleeping in Severus's bed more often than he slept in his own. But it wasn't as if Severus minded providing security for the boy, it was quite the opposite. It was just that he understood that Harry needed to learn to self-sooth and fall asleep on his own.

"Alright," Severus smiled, "You went to bed on time and without fuss yesterday."

Harry grinned proudly.

"Which means you read to me for an hour instead of just half an hour."

"Exactly." Severus agreed. "Do you have a book picked out?"

Harry nodded and plucked a book off his bedside table before thrusting into Severus's hands with a hopeful look showing on his face. Severus bit back a sigh as he recognized the purple backside of the book. He knew without having to flip it over that it was Quidditch through the Ages- a book he'd already to Harry fifteen times.

"Excellent choice," Severus smiled, "Any particular chapter?"

"Start from the beginning, please." Harry yawned, rubbing his eyes. "It's the best part."

"No spell yet devised enables wizards to fly unaided in human form-" Severus began, only to be interrupted by the Harry.

"It would be awesome to fly without brooms or anything…" Harry yawned.

"Don't tell anyone I told you this, but it is possible." Severus whispered conspiratorially. "It's some fairly complicated magic, however, and I nearly got myself killed learning to do so."

"Maybe for your birthday." Severus offered. "But don't get any ideas."

"I'm not making any promises." Harry sassed. "Keep reading, please."

"Those few Anamagi who transform into winged creatures may enjoy flight, but they are a rarity. The witch or wizard who finds him- or herself transfigured into a bat may take to the air, but, having a bat's brain, they are sure to forget where they want to go the moment they take flight. Levitation is commonplace, but our ancestors were not content with hovering five feet from the ground. They wanted more…"

Severus read on for an hour, as promised, but when Harry shot him a pleading look he caved and continued on for another ten minutes. And while he was a bit disappointed that Harry hadn't fallen asleep during this reading session, as it would be much easier if he had, Severus didn't let it show.

"Ten more minutes?" Harry pleaded.

"No, Harry." Severus shook his head. "It's time for bed."

"But I'm not tired." Harry grumped, crossing his arms.

Severus ignored the comments, and removed the boy's glasses, before gently tucking him in and placing a kiss on his forehead. Grabbing the book to take with him, as Harry would often-times use lumos to read beneath his covers, he smiled down at the boy.

"Goodnight, Harry."

"'Night." Harry yawned, turning sadly to his side.

Severus bit back a sigh, fighting the urge to stay in the room until Harry fell asleep. But he ignored the feeling, and exited the room, leaving the door cracked open. Harry needed to learn to fall asleep on his own.

So leaving the bedroom behind, Severus decided to clean up the bathroom. Having a teenage daughter in his keeping certainly had its downfalls. If the myriad of makeup tubes and compacts crowding the counter space and drawers wasn't annoying enough the vast quantities of hair she seemed to shed into the drains was.

"Dad."

Severus was in the midst of unclogging the sink when Harry called out to him, one of the many games he liked to play in order to stall sleeping. Ignoring the teenager, as he didn't sound upset or like he was crying (yet), Severus turned back to his disgusting task and resolved to ask Narcissa if there was a charm to keep hairy clogs at bay.

"Dad!"

Severus grit his teeth and continued to ignore the calls. Finally unearthing a huge mound of light brown hair from the sink, he gagged and chucked the mass into the small rubbish bin beside the toilet and turned back to the sink to remove the rest of the mess obstructing the drains. A mess that ended up being comprised of even more hair, a tube of lipstick, and several cotton balls.

"DAD!"

Severus pounded his fist on the counter and took a deep breath before he walked over to Harry's bedroom and slunk inside. Seeing the crying boy sitting up in bed, Severus's got twisted up. But he forced himself to remain strong.

"It's time to go to sleep, Harry."

And with that he left the room, knowing that although Harry was upset, he was not in any pain or danger. So returning to the living room, he poured himself a generous portion of firewhiskey and lamented over the fact that Harry wasn't as docile and obedient as his little Cherub.

Sure enough, before Severus could so much as take a sip from the tumbler, Harry came out of the bedroom and plopped down atop the couch- burying his face in the cushions.

Shaking his head, Severus rose from his chair and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Come on, Harry. Up." He ordered. "One, Two-"

Harry growled, and kicked the cushions a few time but eventually he did sit up and grab Severus's hand, allowing him to gently pull the boy back into his bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, Severus held his arms open.

"Come here, Harry."

Harry quickly fell into hug, burying his face in his shoulder. Crying heavily, Harry's body shuddered. Severus patiently waited for the boy to calm down, rubbing his back soothingly and muttering soothing words.

"You've got to learn to fall asleep on your own." Severus murmured. "You're fourteen now."

"I know." Harry grumbled. "But it's hard."

"You were doing so well, though, what's changed?" Severus pressed, eager to solve this problem.

"'Mione's started snoring again…" Harry complained, eliciting a hoot from Hedwig who seemed to agree.

"If I put wards up around your room to keep the noise from getting in, you have to promise to try and stay in bed."

"I promise…" Harry yawned, leaning heavily into Severus.

"Alright then, I'll ward your room." Severus agreed. "Do you think you can fall asleep now?"

Harry nodded against his chest, eyes closed.

"If you need to, you can always come into my room." Severus promised, unwilling to deny any of his children that right.


	81. Chapter 81

Severus had been waiting all day for chance to sneak in a nice, long, smoke break. And it being a school day, the opportunity had not come until 4:37 in the afternoon when he locked himself into the bathroom for a 'quick shower.' Turning on the taps full blast, and pressing a towel up against the bottom of the door, he slumped down unto the toilet in complete exhaustion. Pulling a delicious cigarette out from the carton he'd just had to purchase minutes ago, as Hermione had found all his hiding places and vanished the rest of his cigarettes, he lit up and inhaled deeply.

"Daddy!" Hermione's angry voice easily carried through the door. "You promised that you'd quit!"

Severus sighed, and took another deep inhale. He wasn't going to lie to his daughter, after all, and as soon as he admitted his crime she'd make him snuff it out.

"Daddy!"

"Bloody hell, child!" Severus growled. "How could you possibly know what I was doing in here!?"

"Why else would you have a towel pressed against the door?!" Hermione huffed. "I can smell it, too!"

"Hermione, this is the first cigarette I've had all day." Severus groaned, already ashing it out.

"You're not supposed to have any!" Hermione snapped. "We agreed you could have a cigar every now and then!"

"You agreed to that." Severus muttered, turning off the tap before he yanked open the door.

"Hand them over." Hermione demanded, sticking out a commanding hand.

"Harpy." Severus muttered heatlessly, slapping his carton down into her palm.

"This is for your own good." Hermione insisted, vanishing the carton.

"You're going to make me start drinking again, Cherub." Severus complained.

"I'll just dump out all your alcohol." She retorted. "Even the absurdly expensive ones Lucius gives you."

"Narcissa and Lucius have put this up to you haven't they?" Severus grumbled, massaging his temple as he fell backward unto the sofa.

"No," Hermione huffed, "But if you keep sneaking cigarettes I'm going to tell her."

"Can I at least have a cup of coffee?"

"I'll go get you one." Hermione grinned, kissing his forehead.

"Thank you, Cherub." Severus grunted.

"No problem, Daddy." She sang, pressing the cup into his hand.

Severus smiled and took a long dreg, closing his eyes as he willed the caffeine to work its magic. He had had a very long day after all, and he was trying everything he could think of to ward of a headache as most pain-reducing potions no longer worked for him.

"Are you packed and ready to leave tomorrow morning?" Severus questioned.

"Of course, I was finished two days ago." Hermione promised.

"Is Harry?" Severus pressed, bracing himself for the answer.

"Er…you might want to remind him again." Hermione suggested.

Severus sighed loudly and decided he'd just do Harry's packing himself if the boy didn't do before Severus tucked in for the night. Severus liked to maintain a schedule, and they were all set to leave for Spinner's End at 6:15 to spend the Easter Holiday. Which would give them ample time to get settled in and grab a delicious spot of breakfast from the café a few blocks away- precisely the reason they were leaving so early in the morning.

"You kids are sending me to an early grave." Severus lamented, without any heat.

"These cigarettes are driving you to an early grave." Hermione retorted. "I love you, Daddy. And I won't watch you kill yourself!"

"Hermione- a few cigarettes a week is nothing to worry about." Severus argued, feeling the urge to light up again.

"You promised you'd stop!" Hermione cried. "That means completely!"

"Cherub-"

"And it isn't a few a week!" Hermione huffed. "Do you think I'm not smart enough to realize you've been going through a pack a day?!"

Severus stopped himself from asking her how she could possibly know such things when he remembered the girl had been under his tutelage for months. Ruing the fact that it had come back to bite him in the ass, he turned his attention back to facing his irate daughter.

"It's down from the usual amount!" Severus sighed. "Way down!"

"You said you'd stop!" Hermione hollered, stomping her foot.

"Hermione-"

"No!" Hermione barked, hands on hips. "I want you to look me in the eyes and promise me that you're going to stop completely! And don't lie to me like you did last time!"

"I didn't lie to you last time." Severus tried to reason, forcing the words out as he knew the logic was faulty.

"Yes, you did." Hermione drawled. "And you obviously don't care about the promises you make to me, or you'd have kept them!"

Severus's gut twisted up painfully, she was right after all. And had he been in her position, he'd be absolutely as livid as she was now- rightfully so.

"You're right." Severus admitted, staring her in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I lied to you, and it isn't right. I'll quit smoking, Cherub. But please, be patient. It isn't easy."

"Fine." Hermione huffed, still looking miffed. "But you still lied to me."

"I know, Hermione." Severus sighed. "Tell me what I can do to make it up to you?"

"Can I go with Aster to the salon to get pierced?" Hermione pleaded.

"To get what pierced?" Severus demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Hermione grinned cheekily. "I don't know yet."

"Do not try to out-Slytherin me, Hermione Narcissa, it will never happen." Severus warned.

"My navel?"

"If you must." Severus allowed, grateful it wasn't something else.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Hermione grinned, hugging him around his neck.

"You're just lucky I happen to owe you." Severus teased, ruffling her hair.

"Speaking of which," Hermione drawled, "Let's go brew up some nicotine suppressant."


	82. Chapter 82

Hermione gagged heavily as her father apparated her, and Harry, within a dark alley of a slum known as Spinner's End. An awful putrid odor assaulted her delicate nose and she could only figure it emanated from the nearly black river that wound its way through the wretched area. With a twinge of pity, Hermione noticed the grand majority of the homes had simply been abandoned and boarded up with whatever chunks of wood or cardboard that could be scrounged up. The large number of broken streetlamps that lay across the uneven, crumbling sidewalks, and stuck out from the poisonous river only increased the desolate feel of the neighborhood.

Looming over the entire bleak scene stood an abandoned wool mill, looking near ready to collapse with several pieces of creative graffiti lining its crumbling, aged walls. Overgrown shrubs and briers were scattered about freely as well, along with several shards of glass, and Hermione had to be careful to watch her step for fear a large piece of glass of break through her shoes and tear her flesh open.

It was still very early and dark, the sun struggling to break through the dark clouds above, as they made their way through the streets, taking care not to stumble and fall over the debris that lay about in the uncared for streets and being equally as cautious to avoid slipping in various piles of blood (both fresh and dry) and vomit. It was a miracle a place like this still managed to exist, apparently free from being condemned like it should have been years ago.

"It reeks." Harry commented, scrunching up his nose.

"That would be the river and rubbish lying about." Daddy explained. "You'll get used to it."

"Just focus on the positives, Harry." Hermione lectured. "This is much better than the Dursely's!"

"Infinitely better." Harry agreed, sidestepping what appeared to be a dead squirrel.

"You're mother actually grew up here." Daddy commented. "She lived a few blocks away from me, on the nice side of town."

"What?!" Harry's eyes widened, his mouth gaping open.

"That's how we met; at the park in between." Daddy explained. "We can go take a walk past it later once we're all settled in and we've had breakfast."

"That must mean you knew my aunt." Harry frowned. "I feel sorry for you."

"Indeed." Daddy agreed, steering Hermione away a dead crow.

"Has this part of Cokesworth always been so…neglected?" Hermione pressed.

"This street has always been rough," Daddy admitted, "It wasn't until the mill closed down that the rest of the neighborhood fell apart."

"What about the river?" Hermione questioned, always curious.

"What about it?"

"When did it get so polluted?" She clarified.

"Cokesworth has been around from the beginning, Hermione. And as you know, our ancestors weren't exactly very hygienic or wise when it came to their drinking water. People have been dumping into it since the beginning."

"It looks toxic." Harry agreed, tossing a pebble at a swollen rubbish bag floating within it.

"It is." Daddy drawled. "I don't want you two swimming or drinking from it. My mother used to dump her cauldrons in it and the mill used to expel all their chemical refuse within as well."

"Haven't any officials prohibited that?" Hermione gasped.

"The river is beyond saving." Dad snorted. "No one cares if people are still using it as a dumping grounds."

"Why don't they just wait for the garbage men to take their trash?" Harry asked, kicking aimlessly at a beer bottle.

"No one comes to these parts unless they live here." Dad shrugged. "It's too dangerous and 'beneath them.'"

"That's horrid." Hermione frowned. "People can't help falling on tough times."

"Stick to this part of Cokesworth and you won't have to worry about the snobs." Dad assured. "Well, here we are."

They arrived at the end of slightly eerie street, coming face to face with a house that was not much better off than any of the others in that neighborhood. The paint had peeled off in most places and the concrete steps leading up to the warped door were cracked and crumbling. And while the windows weren't boarded up, they were heavily curtained, blocking Hermione's view of the inside.

"But you're a Slytherin." Harry frowned. "Don't you have a manor?"

"Does it look this place has any manors?" Dad smirked.

"Not really." Harry replied, answering the rhetorical question.

"It's not too terrible on the inside, Harry." Dad drawled.

"I don't care what it looks like." Harry insisted. "As long as it isn't the Dursely's."

"Good to know," Dad smiled, "Let's get inside now."

"Good idea, I think Crookshanks and Mongrel are getting restless." Hermione sighed, speaking loudly to be heard over the angry growling of the Kneazles trapped in their carriers.

"Hedwig isn't." Harry declared proudly.

"That's because she's just an owl." Hermione defended.

"Owls are just as smart as Kneazles!"

"Are not!" Hermione argued. "Kneazles don't spend two hours staring at their reflection in a mirror."

"Yeah?" Harry huffed. "Owls don't dance between people's feet, trying to kill them."

"Enough you too." Dad ordered, pulling the door now unlocked door open with considerable effort. "Inside."

Hermione quickly obeyed and released the pets as she stepped into a cozy living room and looked about at her new surroundings. Everything was neat and orderly, of course, and there was not a single speck of dust to be found; not even on the walls that were comprised mostly of hundreds of ancient looking books. A threadbare sofa, two old armchairs, and a rickety coffee table filled up the rest of the room and Hermione shivered as a draft brushed against her skin.

"Follow after me you two." Her father requested, tapping lightly on the wall of books directly behind the couch.

Harry yipped and Hermione gasped as the large bookcase slide aside a few feet, revealing a very narrow and steep staircase. Understandably unimpressed with the antics, Dad made his way up the wooden stairs, warning them numerous times to be careful and to use the railing lest they break their necks.

"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed, falling face-first on the steep incline.

"Are you okay, Harry?"

"Yes." He grumbled. "But you need to do something about theses stairs!"

"Or you could try using the railing like I told you to do." Dad rebuttaled kindly. "I'll cast a few cushioning charms on them later."

"Can I help?" Harry requested.

"We aren't in school, Harry." Dad reminded.

"Oh." Harry's face fell as he remembered the rules against magical use outside school. "I suppose that means our occlumency lessons are off, too."

"You can still learn by watching me cast magic." Dad soothed. "And we can practice the theoretical side of occlumency if you so wish."

"Good, I don't want to lose any of my shield strength." Harry smiled.

Hermione nodded approvingly at Harry, pleased he was finally taking some sort of subject as seriously as she did. If only he could apply it to the rest of his classes, without argument, Daddy would be a lot less stressed. Not that Harry purposely tried to vex him, she knew full well he didn't. It was just that she didn't like it when Daddy was anything but happy.

"Watch your step." Their father warned, gesturing down at Crookshanks who was happily trotting beneath all their legs.

Gently shooing the cat away with a soft nudge, Hermione stepped out unto the narrow corridor with Harry directly behind her. Dad gracefully held his arm out, pointing at the various doors on the level.

"That door leads to the bathroom." He explained. "It is the only one, so they'll be no foolish hair curling and make up applying for hours within in it."

"What're you looking at me for?" Hermione grinned sheepishly, batting her eyelashes.

"Last I checked neither Harry nor I use cosmetics of any sources."

"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure someone has been using my hair balm."

"It's probably Draco, then." Harry chuckled. "He's obsessed with his hair."

"Too bad you aren't." Hermione teased, dodging a mild swipe from Harry.

"Enough of that," Dad ordered, "No wrestling so close to the stairwell! You can kill each other in your rooms."

"Just remember that when I kill Hermione for snoring." Harry smirked.

"This," Daddy ignored the squabbling, "Is my bedroom. It is heavily warded, but I will remove the charms so you don't harm yourselves trying to gain entrance."

"Meow!"

"Yes, Mongrel. You are right. It is our room." Dad sighed, rolling his eyes at the fur ball.

The cat sniffed proudly and stalked off down the stairs, Crookshanks right at her side as they went off to find something more worthy of their time and attention. Hedwig, however, having already decided she didn't care for the cats company, decided she'd take a nap atop Harry's head.

"This," Dad said as he walked a few feet down the hall and stopped in front of another door, "Is where Harry will be staying."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus gave Harry a gentle push forward into the room, sincerely hoping the boy would find his temporary living quarters adequate despite the yellow walls- one of the very few things his mother had fought his father over. Much to his relief, Harry seemed perfectly content with the room and even seemed overjoyed about his view of the sunrise from the large window.

"Can I let Hedwig out to hunt when she wakes up?"

"You may." Severus allowed. "Just remember to close the window afterwards."

Harry nodded distractedly, throwing his trunk down atop the bed carelessly before he removed the bird from his head and gently placed her on one of the pillows on the bed.

"Let's take Hermione down to room so we can go and eat."

Hermione seemed eager to see where she would she would room, and Severus was pleasantly pleased with his easy-natured daughter. She'd hardly given him any trouble at all. Not when she'd been four, and not now. He'd gotten lucky, certainly. But even if she had possessed a rebellious spirit, Severus would still love her to bits. She was his Cherub, and nothing she could do would even change that.

"It's rather dark down here," Severus acknowledged, having lead them down into the basement, "But I'll fix that right up." He promised.

"It's alright." Hermione smiled brightly. "Just as long as you figure out how to keep it warm down here. It's freezing."

"It does tend to be a bit drafty." He agreed. "I'll get you a space heater."

"If you think you'll be too cold, I'll switch rooms with you." Harry offered kindly.

"I don't think so." Severus chuckled. "I want you upstairs so I can keep an eye on you."

"You think I'm going to go looking for trouble?" Harry questioned, smirking.

"Either you find trouble or trouble finds you." Severus drawled. "And there is all sorts of trouble to be had in Cokesworth."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I'm not giving you any ideas." He said sternly.

"How will I know how to avoid it then?"

"Don't get smart with me, boy." Severus warned, calmly.

"Am I at least going to be allowed to explore?"

"Yes," Severus agreed, "As long as you take a knife and your wand with you. And under no circumstances are you to be out after midnight."

"Why?"

"You'll be gutted like a pig and left to ferment in the river by the street rats." Severus answered simply. "Given your temper, you're likely to incite them to violence- purposely or not."

"But I'm still allowed to explore, right?"

"Yes, child." Severus repeated. "I'm sure once Draco arrives to spend a few nights you two will have plenty of fun. I'm sure he'll even show you all the fun things he's discovered."

"Draco's coming?" Hermione grinned.

"He stays for a few days of Easter break every year." Severus nodded.

"Where is he going to sleep?" Harry pestered.

"You two will share a room." Severus shrugged. "And you will not kill each other, neither will you destroy the house."

"I promise I won't destroy the house." Harry insisted.

"And?"

"I won't explore after midnight…"

"And?"

"I'm hungry." Harry shrugged, running off up the steps before Severus could force a promise to not kill Draco from him.

"Don't worry, Daddy." Hermione soothed. "I'll help keep the boys in line."


	83. Chapter 83

Hermione had spent a lovely two days at Spinner's End, enjoying the relative coziness of her father's house that almost reminded her of the Burrow; except that whereas the Burrow was obviously lived in and slightly untidy, Spinner's End was the exact opposite. And while Molly and Arthur were blissfully unaware of the majority of the mischief her children got into, mainly the twins, Severus was painfully aware of nearly every action his children carried out.

Normally having such an overprotective father made her feel safe and wanted, tonight it proved rather vexing. Having bumped into a pack of girls near the park whilst she took Crookshanks for a walk, she'd been invited to a party at the abandoned mill. A party that didn't even start until midnight. A party she desperately wanted to go to now that she knew how to fit in and let go.

But there were several factors prohibiting her from taking such action. For starters, and perhaps most importantly, was the fact that she never disobeyed Daddy- deliberately or otherwise. If she was caught, and she didn't have any intentions of that happening, she'd lose part of his trust- and she couldn't bare for even a tiny bit of that to be lost.

Then there was the fact that Daddy didn't go to sleep until well after midnight, if he even chose to go to bed at all that particular night. And on top of that all, she was in a bloody basement. A basement that only had narrow slats for windows, ones that Crookshanks couldn't even squeeze through. Which would mean that she'd have to creep up some very creaky stairs and avoid her father's supersonic hearing.

But she'd already made up her mind to go; she was dressed and made up and ready for a little bit of fun. Harry and Ron were right, breaking the rules could be a bit exciting. And best of all, she didn't have to worry about being expelled or killed like the adventures Harry and Ron were always undertaking.

Spritzing on a bit of perfume, she reasoned away her guilt. Dad had allowed her to go to parties before, like the one after the Yule Ball. And that had lasted all night. She'd just be gone for a few hours, back before the sun rose. Really, the only rule she'd be breaking was the one about staying in after midnight. And it could be argued that such a restriction only applied to Harry, who couldn't control his anger and keep from mouthing off to the wrong people. She, she was sly and clever. She'd bring her knife and wand and she'd be perfectly fine. Provided, Daddy never found out.

"Meow?"

"Shh, Crookshanks." She pleaded. "Do me a favor and stay under here?"

Hermione breathed quietly, scooping up the well-groomed animal and delicately placing him beneath the quilt. Arranging a few pillows beside and below him, she rearranged the mass until it near-perfectly resembled her form. Smiling softly when the cat began to snore, after promptly falling back asleep, she made a mental note to reward him in the morning with endless scratching and petting.

Slipping of her tennis shoes and holding them in one free hand, she carefully tread up the steps that lead into the kitchen via a tiny trap door. Taking care to keep to the sides of the noisy steps, and skipping the worst of them, she made it to the top without incident and took a deep breath the steel herself.

Heart pounding in her eyes, and adrenaline pumping, she pressed a hand against the trapdoor and shoved it open as quickly as she could. Draco and Aster had informed her that it was the best way to go about opening noisy doors- minimizing the chance of noise. She nearly gave a cry of relief when their assertions proved correct.

Slithering into the kitchen she carefully closed the door behind her, flinching when it gave a slight whooshing noise. Holding her breath, she waited until she was certain her father hadn't heard the sound before she dared to continue.

Padding into the living room, after peeing inside to make sure her Dad wasn't awake and reading by the fire, she slunk over to the window on the far left side- having decided that since it was the most used one, it would be the quietest. She didn't dare to use any of the doors as they'd been warded to alert her father of burglars or intruders, and she was fearful that it might work the opposite way and alert him to the fact someone was leaving.

Carefully shoving the window upward, she strategically maneuvered herself out into the snow yard. Flinching as the snow cut into her bare feet, she quickly shoved her socks and shoes on before hastily running off toward the party. She was already more than fashionably late and she only had so long to enjoy the fun before she'd be forced to return home.

"Over here."

Hermione nearly screamed when the throaty whisper sounded from the thick shadows a house away. Thankfully she managed to stop herself by biting her tongue. Turning slowly, hand on knife, she relaxed when she realized it was Bridgette called out to her- one of the girls who'd invited her.

"Shhhh." She whispered. "What're you doing here, I was just leaving."

"You were taking too long." Bridgette hissed. "I was worried you weren't coming and I decided to have a little fun and bust you out."

"I had to careful." Hermione breathed. "My dad will kill me if I get caught."

"He lets Draco out all the time." Bridgette argued. "He's only being so overbearing now because he probably heard this party is really a rave."

"What the hell is a rave?" Hermione pressed.

"You'll see."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is." Hermione argued. "My arse is already on the line."

"Don't be a priss!"

"Shh!" Hermione snapped. "Fine! I'll go! Just be quiet."

Bridgette gave a satisfied smirk. "We'll have to be careful, the police are out tonight."

"The police?"

"It's no big deal," The white/blonde haired girl dismissed. "We'll keep to the shadows, they'll never see us."

"I'm not sure-"

"Enough of your whining. I left the party to come get you, and we're going."

"Are you going to make me?" Hermione scoffed, suddenly bristling.

"I'll scream bloody murder if you don't come with me right now."

"Fine, let's go."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus scowled and sat upright as he heard police sirens piercing the silence of the night. Why couldn't those damn pigs leave the poor inhabitants of Spinner's End alone, weren't there lives miserable enough? They could very well police themselves with street justice, they didn't need the meddling of self-righteous arseholes.

Unable to fall back asleep once woken, in most cases, Severus sat up and growled as more sirens filled the air five minutes later. Either there had been another murder that year, or someone on the richer part of town had snuck away to have fun with a hoodlum and their parents had flipped and cried foul.

"I can't get back to sleep." Harry complained, shuffling into his room.

"Neither can I." Severus sighed, massaging his temple. "Let's go get some cocoa, hmm?"

"With marshmallows?"

"Of course, foolish boy." Severus smiled. "How else would your drink it?"

"Can we watch the sword and the stone?"

"We might as well," Severus allowed, "I don't think we're going to get much sleep tonight."

"Those sirens are really irritating Mongrel."

Harry commented, scooping up the fluffy black beast that was howling at the same pitch as the police sirens. Hissing once more at the window, the cat rubbed up against Harry's chin before calming with the aid of a few ear scratches.

"She doesn't take well to nonsense." Severus commented.

"Just like you." Harry teased, rubbing his eyes.

"She is my familiar." Severus commented, leading the boy down the steps.

Harry yawned loudly in response, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Didn't you get any sleep at all?" Severus fussed.

"No," Harry scowled heavily, "We left my dragon light at Hogwarts."

"Why on earth didn't you tell me, child?" Severus sighed in exasperation. "I would've gone and got it for you."

"I didn't want to be a bother." Harry mumbled.

"You wouldn't have been, Harry." Severus promised. "Please, come to be the next time you need or want something. I promise I won't get angry."

"Okay." Harry yawned, still sounding unsure.

Severus bit back another sigh, wishing he could just get Harry past his insecurities like he had Hermione. Both fortunately and unfortunately, the boy hadn't had a chance to gain some trust and confidence like Hermione had when she'd been four. Harry had had fourteen straight years of neglect, with no break in between. It was much harder to create a bond and feel confident the older you got.

"C'mon, let's go get our hot chocolate. We can camp out on the hide-a-bed tonight."

"Can we make a fort over the sofa?"

Harry grinned widely, nearly bouncing with excitement at the prospect.

"I don't see why not." Severus agreed, pleased Harry was starting to get more comfortable about asking for things.

Severus stepped out into the living room and carefully helped Harry off the last step, still half-asleep the teenager nearly tripped over the trainers he'd gotten into the habit of leaving at the foot of the stairs.

"Harry, I've told you exactly seven times in the last two days to not pile your shoes here. It's dangerous."

"Sorry." Harry insisted, sounding contrite as he kicked the shoes to the side. "I forget."

"Did you also forget I told you not to leave windows open?"

Severus sighed, shaking his head as he forced he window closed as gently as he could. Were the few rules that he had really so hard to obey? But he bit his tongue, figuring that the boy really hadn't been deliberately disobedient and hadn't really hurt anything by leaving the window open a bit.

"Harry," Severus frowned as he turned around to see the boy biting hi lip and fighting back tears, "What's wrong? I'm not angry."

"But you're yelling at me," He sniffed, looking much younger than 14, "And I didn't even open that widow. I let Hedwig out my bedroom window."

"Come here, Harry," Severus ordered, wrapping him in a tight hug, "You don't have to get upset, foolish boy. No one was yelling at you."

"I didn't leave the window open." Harry muttered, swiping at his eyes.

"I believe you." Severus promised. "It's alright."

"You're not angry?"

"Of course not. There's no need to get so worked up." Severus chuckled, rubbing his back. "Come on, let's go get our cocoa."

"With marshmallows." Harry corrected, setting Mongrel down.

"You can have as many you'd like." Severus assured, leading him into the kitchen and pulling out a couple mugs from the cupboards.

"I want them all." Harry declared, pouring out the mix into cups.

"Alright." Severus allowed, handing the boy the bag of marshmallows.

"I was just kidding!" He looked horrified. "You can have some too!"

"I was teasing you, Harry." Severus smirked. "Don't worry."

"I would never be so greedy." Harry insisted. "Never."

"I know, child." Severus comforted. "Go find some blankets for us and pull out the hide a bed. I'll be in in a minute."

Harry yawned loudly and made his way into the living room, still holding a purring Mongrel in his arms.

Making his way into the living room himself, after spending a few minutes finishing up the cocoa, and smiled at the boy lounging on the sofa. Flicking his wand, he erected a slight dome of blankets, sheets and quilts over the makeshift bed before he crawled in with the cocoa.

"It's dark." Harry commented, frowning slightly.

"I'll turn the movie on." Severus offered, doing so as he spoke.

"Much better." Harry agreed, as the light filled the room.

Thankful that they'd just watched Harry's movie of choice last night, Severus clicked a few buttons on the remote and after a few minutes of rewinding, the Sword in the Stone began to play from the start.

"I love this movie." Harry sighed, snuggling in closer to him.

"I can tell." Severus smirked, putting an arm around the boy.

"Meow?" Mongrel asked, cocking her head to the side.

"How should I know what Crookshanks is doing?" Severus frowned.

"Meow." Mongrel huffed, looking insulted at his tone.

"He's sleeping with Hermione," Severus reasoned, "Let him sleep."

"Mow." Mongrel argued, narrowing her eyes.

"I'll be right back, Harry." Severus sighed. "Flea-Bait here has ordered my to fetch his partner in crime."


	84. Chapter 84

Severus felt his blood boil when he realized the mound beneath Hermione's quilt was actually comprised of cat and pillow and not of a peaceful, slumbering Cherub. The knife and wand she kept on her nightstand her also gone, only adding to Severus's suspicions that she'd snuck out despite his strict orders not to do so. After all, it was impossible for anyone who wished harm to enter the house and even if it were possible, they'd certainly wouldn't bother to take something they'd consider as nothing more than a stick of wood.

Stomping up the steps, he bit back the oaths that fought to escape from his mouth, and hurried into the living room. Ignoring Harry's curious gaze, he peered out the previously opened window and finally noticed the fresh set of tiny footprints in the snow. Prints that lead off in the direction of the mill- a place that had been a hotspot for wild raves since his father had been a small child.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Severus growled. "But Hermione most certainly will not be when I get ahold of her."

"Is her snoring that bad?"

Severus would have laughed at the innocent question had he not been so livid with his uncharacteristically, foolishly reckless daughter. So help him, she wouldn't sit comfortably for a damn week.

"She's not here, Harry." Severus explained, patiently as he could. "She's snuck out."

"But Hermione doesn't break rules!" Harry gaped.

"Apparently she does." Severus sighed, immensely disappointed. "Stay here, Harry. I'll be back."

"Do you want me to go to my room?" Harry frowned, looking rather put out.

"You can stay down here," Severus clarified, "You're not the one in trouble. I'll be back in a bit and we'll finish the movie."

Harry nodded and curled up on his side, allowing Mongrel to lick his face. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, child." Severus assured. "I'll be back in ten minutes tops. I know exactly where she is."

"Is she okay?" Harry fretted.

"Until I get my hands on her…" Severus allowed. "Now hold the fort now, I've got to go."

"Sir, yes, sir." Harry smirked, giving him a mocking salute.

Leaving the teenager behind to hold down an already impenetrable fort, Severus glided through the dark and made certain to avoid the policeman that were evidentially out tonight. It would only infuriate him further to have to deal with their harassment and he hoped for Hermione's sake they left him alone should they spot him. Biting him was one thing, sassing him forgivable, but this, this was blatant stupidity and nothing pissed him of more than that- especially when it came from his own daughter.

He was only a few feet away from the decrepit building when he spotted a splash of emerald sticking out of the dark night; someone was walking toward his direction, and given their color choice and build, he knew it was his daughter even before he could see her face through the darkness.

Severus scowled as he spotted the grin on Hermione's face. Evidentially the girl was just thrilled she'd managed to get away with such awful behavior. Hopefully she thought this little adventure was well worth it, because it'd be the last she'd have for a very long time. Harry going off on rule-breaking sprees with Ron and putting themselves into danger was one thing, that was expected, but this was his Cherub and it wasn't like her.

"Having fun?" He snarled, stepping out from the shadow of a tree.

She nearly screeched but caught herself, whirling about and yanking out the knife from her pocket. It took her a very long second to realize who he was, but when she had, her face drained of color and she quickly re-pocketed her weapon.

"I can explain!" She eked out, holding up her arms in surrender.

"Yes," He growled, "You will."

"I didn't know it was a rave," She insisted, "Not when I left the house!"

Severus glowered in response, knowing she was leaving something out, and grabbed the tops of one of her ears. Without saying a word, he pulled her forward toward the direction of the house, just waiting for her to being spilling her secrets- a tactic he had learned to employ early on his life.

"You're lying to me." He pressed, after a long minute had passed.

Hermione gulped, visibly worried at being discovered, and Severus rolled his eyes. When would people learn that he could not be out-Slytherined? He was the master of craft and lie detection, hardly anything ever got past him.

"I really didn't know- not at first." She caved, spluttering. "It wasn't until after I was already outside that I found out."

"And so you went anyways." Severus finished.

"I didn't think it would be that big of a deal!" Hermione pleaded her case. "I was careful. I took my knife and my wand!"

"I told both you and Harry to stay indoors after midnight." Severus hissed. "The police here are crooked, and some of the people who live here could put the death eaters to shame."

"I didn't know!" Hermione insisted, looking horrified as she realized just how stupid she'd been.

"That hardly excuses you!" Severus snapped. "When I give you rules it's to protect you!"

"I-"

"You could have been violated!" Severus continued. "And/or killed!"

"I-"

"Do you have any idea of how scared I was when I discovered you were missing!? Are you trying to give me a heart attack! What the hell were you thinking!? I've never been so disappointed in you!"

"I'm sorry." She squeaked, tears overflowing to flow down her cheeks.

Severus stared at her, assuring himself that the tears were contrite and not crocodilian in nature. But still, she was far from in the clear. Sorry or not, she'd be dealt with most severely. She could have been lying dead in a snowbank for all he knew! And for what? So she could go to some rave?! It wasn't like she wasn't allowed to go to other parties! In all respects, the girl was endlessly spoiled!

"I love you, Cherub." Severus admitted. "But you're still in huge trouble."

She sniffed but nodded, not fighting what she had coming to her like Harry often did. Why, just why, did she have to make it so hard to punish her. She was just so sweet, just like his Lily had been. How it killed him to have to be strict.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hermione was deathly quiet as Severus led her into the house, past a conked out Harry, and down into her bedroom. Sitting down atop her mattress, he locked eyes with his daughter and beckoned her forward with a single hand gesture. She obeyed, albeit extremely slowly, and stopped directly in front of him.

"I was very worried about you, you could've been very badly hurt." He lectured.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, fighting back tears.

Severus nodded. "I know, Cherub. But for every action there is a consequence."

"I know." She insisted, resting her forehead against his.

"I know you know that." Severus answered truthfully. "But the fact remains you need to be disciplined for your actions tonight."

"I know." She promised, closing her eyes. "But I've been training with you and the Slytherins…I was confident I could get out of any problem that arrived."

"You wouldn't be able to talk a bullet away, nor a hex. You cannot reason with some people, and the people at that rave are those kind of people."

"I didn't take any drugs," She informed him, "I only had a few drinks."

"Thank you for your honesty, Hermione." Severus praised. "But you're very lucky none of those drinks were spiked."

"I'm sorry." She repeated, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I know, Cherub, I know," Severus assured, "But I care too much for you to let this go. I need to be sure you'll never give into this sort of recklessness again."

Hermione nodded, looking extremely anxious but resolved.

"Over my lap," Severus ordered, "You can keep your bottoms on."

She hastened to comply, understandably eager to get it all over with. As was Severus, who despised this part of having children. So taking a deep breathe, he steeled himself before delivering the first smack, wanting to go easy on Hermione because she was still his little Cherub and he had a soft spot for her.

"I'm going to start." He warned, rubbing her back briefly to calm her before he began.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"You will never behave so foolishly again, Hermione! Do you understand me?"

Severus paused in his punishing to allow her a chance to respond, feeling awful as he could feel rather than hear the girl crying.

"Yes!" She sniffed, beginning to audibly sob. "I understand."

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"When I give you an order, or a rule, I expect you to listen!"

"Yes!" Hermione cried.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"If you ever do something so foolish again, you'll never sit comfortably again!"

"Yes." Hermione yelled, grabbing hold of his free arm and using it as a security blanket.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"And you'll never deliberately defy me again!"

"I won't! I promise!" She sobbed. "I'm sorry!"

"Good," Severus praised, "Ten more and we're done."

She nodded, and raised no protest when he tiled her so her sit spot was exposed. And Severus bit back a pained noise as he forced himself to continue.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"We're gone." Severus breathed, helping her up.

"I'm sorry!" She insisted. "I won't do it again! I'm sorry!"

"I know, shh." He comforted, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry!" She repeated, crying heavily into his shoulder as he positioned her unto his lap, positioning her so that her bottom wasn't touching anything.

"I know, Cherub, It's all over. You're forgiven." Severus hummed. "You're alright."

"I love you, Dad." Hermione snuffled.

"I love you too," He assured, "Now come on, I think you could use a bit of sleep.


	85. Chapter 85

Severus awoke, still curled up in the fort with Harry, to the smell of burning bacon. Noticing that Hermione was absent from the makeshift dwelling, he quickly deduced the culprit and coughed as the smoke stung at his eyes.

"What's burning?" Harry groaned, buried beneath piles of blankets and Mongrel.

"I'm going to guess breakfast." Severus answered wryly, slipping out of the fortress and into the kitchen.

"Epediam!"

He spluttered, vanquishing the thick clouds of smoke to reveal a harried looking Hermione who had clearly been trying to fan the smoke out the window with a dish towel. As for the remains of the breakfast, the charred food and pans lay in the sink- still smoking slightly.

"It's a good thing Theo is going to inherit a few house elves when he marries you, because you can't cook."

Harry commented, entering the kitchen as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"I can cook!" Hermione protested, the hands on hips.

"Porridge- maybe." Harry teased, dodging the spatula she chucked at his head.

"That's enough you, two!" Severus ordered. "The Malfoy's will be here any minute, and this mess needs to get cleared up."

"Hermione made it, she can clean it up." Harry decided. "I'll make us some edible food."

"Daddy, tell him I can cook!" Hermione demanded, beginning to fill the sink up with soapy water.

"I'm not a liar, Cherub, sorry." He smirked, avoiding a fork.

"You're great at other things!" Severus added, dodging another fork. "Like sewing! And cleaning!"

"And telling people what to do!" Harry added, grabbing a carton eggs from the fridge. "You'll make a perfect wife!"

"Yeah," Hermione smirked, "So will you."

"Hey!"

"You're the only one single! Even Ron is dating Aster." Hermione retorted, coolly.

"Well…What does it say about you if a man makes a better wife than you?"

Harry returned, starting to make some omelets as Severus sat down at the table with a cup of coffee to enjoy the mock fight. So long as it didn't become heated, he'd allow the two to bicker like Narcissa informed him all siblings did.

"Are you sure you're all man?" Hermione smiled, scrubbing at a pan. "That haircut you've got is getting a bit long…and campy."

"What haircut?" Harry snorted. "It's just a bit long is all."

"Too long," Hermione sniffed, "It's like a girl's now."

"Theo's hair is longer than mine!" Harry huffed. "It's longer than yours."

"He can pull it off without looking girly." Hermione dismissed.

"Can I get a haircut?" Harry begged, looking at Severus after he flipped an omelet.

"Harry, if you like your hair the way it is you can keep it. You shouldn't worry so much about what people think of you." Severus lectured. "But if you truly want to, I'm sure Narcissa will be more than willing to give you a trim."

"It doesn't look that girly, does it?" Harry worried, scowling at Hermione.

"No, child. It's just very messy is all." He answered truthfully.

"I want it cut." Harry decided. "But only a little bit."

"Don't worry, Harry." Severus calmed. "Narcissa isn't Molly, she'll let you decide how to keep your hair."

Crack! Crack.

Two consecutive apparition pops sounded not downstairs in the basement, Narcissa's much quieter than the first, and Severus smiled. The Malfoy's were here.

"Why is Narcissa so quiet when she apparates?" Hermione questioned.

"She's quite skilled at it, that's why." Severus explained.

"We're here!" Narcissa sang, walking into the kitchen with her husband and son. "And I brought muffins!"

"Delicious." Severus grinned, kissing her cheek. "They'll go well with the omelets Harry made."

"Draco, go put your things away." Lucius requested kindly.

"How long do you get to stay?" Harry pestered, looking excited.

"Until Easter afternoon," Draco explained, "Then we have Easter at my house."

"Do you want to go to the park later?" Harry asked. "Someone put up a new rope swing!"

"You be careful on those things." Lucius ordered. "They're dangerous."

"We will." Harry promised.

"Besides, it's a lot safer than that flying stunt Harry pulled during the second challenge." Draco called out, ascending the steps to the room he'd be sharing with Harry.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus had been seated on the sofa with his daughter, discussing the various methodologies behind Arithmancy, when Draco and Harry entered through the front door; laughing and coated in fresh mud that dripped unto the freshly cleaned carpet.

"What have you two been doing?" Hermione gaped. "You're filthy."

"Us and a couple of boys-"

"A couple boys and us." Severus corrected Harry.

"A couple boys and us," Harry rolled his eyes, "Were playing a game of rugby."

"I just cleaned this house!" Severus exclaimed, shaking his head.

"You're always cleaning," Draco smirked, "When you're not brewing."

"Or grading papers." Hermione supplied.

"Or reading." Harry added.

"Shut up and go take a bath." Severus directed. "Both of you."

"A bath?" Harry snorted. "We're not girls."

Both Severus and Hermione glared at him, causing him to shrink under the weight of the sharp looks.

"I'll have you know baths are a fantastic way to relax." Severus informed. "Besides, the showerhead doesn't work."

"I call first bath!" Harry shouted, already reaching out to touch the book on the shelf.

"If you dare touch my books with your filthy hands, you'll rue the day." Severus warned, stretching behind him to touch the book himself.

"What the hell am I supposed to do while Harry bathes? Stand outside?" Draco asked, indignation on his face.

"Both of you can put on your swimming trunks and bathe at the same time," Severus offered, "The tub's more than big enough."

"It's freezing outside. I didn't bring my swimming trunks." Draco frowned.

"You left a few pairs here last summer." Severus reminded gently. "Lend Harry a pair and clean up."

"Do we have any bubble bath left, or did Hermione use it all up?"

"There's still a capful….maybe." Hermione answered.

"That was a gallon jug." Draco shook his head. "You've only been here three days."

"Daddy helped." She defended.

"But it was a gallon." Harry repeated. "Even if you took three baths a day, you shouldn't be able to go through that much."

"I think you underestimate the power of soothing, lavender bubbles." Severus said seriously.

"I can't believe those words, in that order, are coming out of your mouth." Harry joked, semi-serious.

"See for yourself." Severus shrugged.

"When we get back to school you better not ever tell anyone I bathed with you, Potter." Draco insisted. "They're already questioning your sexuality."

"Who?"

"Pansy and her crew."

"She's not a people." Harry argued. "She's a cow."

"A cow you dated, by the way." Hermione assisted Harry.

"I was young and stupid back then!"

"It was only a year ago." Hermione argued.

"A lot can change in a year." Harry joined in. "Last year you weren't even adopted."

"Go take a bath you two." Severus interrupted. "You three can bicker all you want later."


	86. Chapter 86

"You're such a slob," Draco informed Harry, "Even your hair is messy."

"It's not that messy in here."

Harry defended, shoving a pile of dirty laundry off the bed to the floor as they both finally crawled into bed after spending the majority of the night talking and playing cards.

"If Severus sees this mess, he'll kill you." Draco warned, throwing a candy wrapper to the floor.

"I'll clean it up tomorrow."

Harry shrugged, pleased that Draco had opted to take the left side of the bed. The right side was his. It wasn't nearby the window, and it was closest to the door.

"No you won't," Draco countered, pulling the blankets up to their chins, "Liar."

"You'll see."

Harry dismissed, pleased he didn't have a bedtime during the Holidays and that he was allowed to stay up as long as he wanted. He and Draco were going to have tons of fun this Holiday, on top of all the fun they'd already had that day.

"Yeah, I'll see Severus yelling at you for this mess when you end up not cleaning it."

"Quiet up, would you?" Harry yawned. "It's my mess. It doesn't affect you."

"Last I checked this used to be my room." Draco retorted calmly. "And it still is."

"If it bothers you that badly, I'll clean it." Harry promised. "Just remind me in the morning."

"I'm holding you to it." Draco promised, reaching across Harry to flick off his dragon light.

"Hey!" Harry yelled, jumping as the room was plunged into darkness. "Leave that on!"

"I'm not sleeping with a nightlight." Draco snorted.

"It's not a nightlight. It's a lamp." Harry defended, flicking it back on.

"You can call it whatever you want," Draco replied, "But we're not sleeping with it on."

"Says who?"

"Says me." Draco huffed.

"You don't just get to decide how to keep the room."

"Neither do you." Draco snapped. "The light stays off."

"Fine," Harry growled, "I'll just go sleep with-"

"No!" Draco pleaded, suddenly worried sounding. "He'll get cross with me!"

"I'll stay if we can sleep with the light on." Harry declared, crossing his arms.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Draco sighed, "But can't we compromise?"

"I don't like sleeping in the dark."

"And I don't like sleeping in the light."

"Well, how are we supposed to compromise then?" Harry frowned.

"Can we keep on really dim?" Draco tried.

Harry frowned heavily and sighed. As much as he wanted to compromise and make Draco happy, he couldn't. He didn't like the dark, it reminded him too much of his cupboard back at the Dursely's. He knew he wasn't being reasonable, this was Draco's room originally after all, but he didn't think he'd be able to settle on only dim lighting.

"Look," Draco sighed, "What if I promise to stay up until you fall asleep?"

"Fine…I suppose that'll work." Harry agreed, still rather hesitant.

"You're more tired than I am." Draco comforted. "It shouldn't take you that long to fall asleep anyways."

"I'm not trying to be difficult." Harry insisted, closing his eyes.

"It's fine." Draco huffed. "At least you don't snore like Hermione."

"You're not angry?"

"I will be if you don't shut up and go to sleep."

Harry rolled his eyes but complied, turning to his side so that he could keep an eye on the door like he liked to do. And while he'd have loved to have the jar left ajar with the hall light on, he was okay with it being opened just a tiny crack.

"Goodnight, Draco."

"Night, Harry."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco had been having a pleasant dream, involving Astoria and quidditch, when he was rudely awoken by the sound of heavy breathing. Groaning, he opened one eye, only to be assaulted by the stabbing light of the dragon on full-blast.

"Harry, what the hell." He moaned, sitting up to see a labored look on the Gryffindor's face. "Are you alright?"

"Not the cupboard…" Harry pleaded, tossing in his sleep. "I'll be good."

"Harry- wake up." Draco groaned, lightly shoving him.

"It's too dark." Harry complained, still fast asleep.

"Wake," Draco commanded, smacking him with a pillow, "Up."

This proved to not be the brightest of ideas that ever graced Draco's mind, for upon being semi-violently jerked out of his sleep he flailed an arm out and caught Draco in the gut. Grunting in an extremely unseemly fashion, he doubled over.

"Draco? Draco!" Harry finally woke up as Draco began to splutter. "Are you okay?"

Draco glared at him, unable to speak. Settling for beating him with his own hippogriff plushy, he continued to smack the Gryffindor until he could find his breath.

"No, I'm not okay!" Draco wheezed. "You just sucker punched me!"

"Is everything okay in there?" Severus yelled down the hall, ever aware of every last thing that went on.

"Yes?" Harry called back, ducking as Draco launched a pillow at his head.

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"We're fine!" Draco hollered, giving Harry one last shove.

"I'm sorry!" Harry defended. "Calm down. It was an accident."

"What the hell were you even dreaming about?" Draco scowled, collapsing back into the bed.

"Nothing." Harry dismissed, turning back on his side.

"Come on, tell me." Draco coaxed. "It'll make you feel better. I promise not to laugh."

For a long time Harry was silent and Draco began to think he'd ignored him and fallen back asleep. Had it not been for the still-labored breathing, and tense stature, Draco would have just let it go and fallen back asleep.

"My Uncle and Aunt used to keep in a cupboard under the stairs…" He answered, a hint of anger creeping into his voice.

"That's horrid." Draco exclaimed. "A cupboard?"

"Yes." Harry agreed icily. "I dreamt I was back in there…and it was even smaller now and I could barely fit."

"You have been getting kind of fat." Draco teased, wanting to ease the tension.

"I thought there was a boggart in there." Harry continued. "But it wasn't a boggart."

"What was it?" Draco pressed gently.

"It was Voldemort…and he said that I was still a part of him. Everyone believed him and Dumbledore threw me out into the Forbidden Forest to die….and nobody stopped him."

"That would never happen, Harry." Draco insisted. "Once a Slytherin decides to make somebody theirs they'll do anything for them. Besides, Severus really cares about you now and he doesn't just let people take his things."

"So I'm a thing now?"

"Well…" Draco pretended to muse… "Maybe that's stretching the word."

"Thanks Draco, I appreciate it." Harry said derisively.

"Anytime." Draco grinned. "Someone has to keep your ego in check."

"What about your ego?"

"My ego's gotten so big it has become its own sentient thing, floating around like poltergeist."

"I think it left quite a lot behind." Harry smirked.

"That's just the making of another ego monster. Soon I'll have a whole army."

"And what are these horrific things called?"

"I shall call them Smugs, and with their help I will rule the world."

"Just remember how kind I was to you during your rise to power."

"I'll remember you sucker punched me."

"Won't you show some mercy?" Harry pleaded dryly.

"We'll see." Draco shrugged. "I need at least four more smugs before I can begin my takeover. You'll have plenty of time to earn my favor back."

"Are you Astoria is going to stand behind you on this whole dictator thing?"

"Of course not." Draco shrugged. "She'll be beside me."

"Willingly?"

"Of course. We do everything together."

"Are all Malfoy men so romantic?"

"It genetic." Draco agreed. "Dad takes Mum on an anniversary holiday every year."


	87. Chapter 87

Hermione was happily immersed in a thick volume entitled "Advanced Numeric Theory for the Enthusiastic Arithmancer," while the two boys lay in front of the sofa on the carpet, revising their Charms essays that were due the next morning. Having been left to hold down the fort while her father was off collecting ingredients in the Forbidden Forest, she'd relentlessly nagged to two boys until they agreed to give their work one last cursory look.

Knowing that it would make her father happy to hear that they had done so, and knowing that it would keep them out of all sorts of mischief, she promised them she wouldn't nag them about anything else for the rest of the night even though she had an entire list of things she could pester them about. Like Harry's untidy room and Draco's lack of finishing the supper dishes even though it was his turn.

"'Mione, how do you spell accio again?" Harry interrupted her reading. "With two c's, right?"

"With two c's, yes." Hermione nodded, turning back to finish the sentence she'd been torn from.

"A-c-c-e-o." Harry murmured, using a spell to erase his original spelling and replace it.

"No, Harry." Draco scolded. "That's still wrong."

"No it isn't!" Harry defended. "Hermione said it was right."

"She isn't right about everything, you know." Draco snorted.

"A-C-C-I-O!" Hermione barked. "Now shut up, you two. I've reread the same sentence five times!"

"You are your Father's child." Draco grumbled.

"Maybe you're the one that needs reading help." Harry teased. "I only have to reread things three times now."

Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored the two laughing males, finally able to understand why Ron was always lamenting about having so many siblings. She only had one brother, in the form of Harry, and one cousin and she could barely handle that at times. And, as Ginny had informed her, it was always worse when you were the sister as brothers apparently took it upon themselves to harass their sister as often as they could.

"'Mione?"

Hermione took a deep breath before she lowered her book to give Harry a blank look. She was near her wits end. She had three pages left to read from the book that had taken her a week just to make a dent in, and so help her, if she couldn't finish it tonight someone was going to get hurt.

"Yes?"

"What does vexation mean?"

"Annoying." She hinted heavily, forgetting that subtly was usually lost on Harry.

"How can casting a charm be annoying?" Harry questioned, staring down at his open Charms book.

"Vexatious and annoying aren't exactly the same thing, that's why." Hermione explained, fighting to remain patient. "Vexatious, more specifically, means frustrating."

"So…it's hard to cast and it pisses people off?"

"Yes," Hermione laughed, "Although I wouldn't use those exact words for your essay."

"I don't know, Flitwick might enjoy that sort of humor given the way he finds the Twins so amusing." Draco mused.

"Would you stop encouraging each other?!" Hermione sighed. "Sometimes I feel like a mother more than a sister and a cousin."

"We're not in charge of how you feel." Harry retorted with a grin.

"Poor Martyr Hermione." Draco cried dramatically, joining in the light-natured teasing.

"Poor, poor Hermione."

"Slaving away to take care of us." Draco lamented, throwing his arms out.

"Left to rot in a prison for adultery-"

"Don't you bring "A Winter's Tale" into this." Hermione scolded. "I'll not have Shakespeare besmirched."

"Relax, you end up coming back to life after everyone thinks you're dead." Draco dismissed.

"Only to really die of a broken heart when your son dies." Harry continued.

"When did you find time to read Shakespeare?" Hermione demanded of Harry. "Or the motivation?"

"Severus bought him Shakespeare plays written in plain English." Draco explained.

"I read most of them over Easter Holiday." Harry said smugly.

"That's fantastic!" Hermione praised, glad to hear Harry was getting more involved with reading.

"You should try Poe next." Draco insisted.

"Poe is too depressing." Harry frowned.

"That's more Daddy's taste." Hermione agreed.

"But Poe is so…dramatic and expressive and emotional." Draco argued, pleading his favorite's case.

"He's just not my cup of tea." Hermione explained. "Although I do enjoy Stephen King."

"I just read "It" and I have to say that Stephen King has to be pretty mental to write things like that." Harry insisted.

"Wait until you read "Misery", it gets worse." Draco warned.

"Or the "Green Mile."" Hermione contributed.

"You know what's really disturbing?"

Harry pressed, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes putting Hermione instantly on edge. She knew that look. That expression meant mischief was too follow- and not just any Gryffindor-level mischief but Harry Potter sized trouble.

"Do tell us, Sir Potter." Draco insisted in a fake posh manner, apparently in on this joke.

"Do be warned, Sir Malfoy. I might use some salty language."

"Oh my! In the presence of a lady?" Draco gasped, clutching his heart.

"I see no lady." Harry explained.

"Why, I've never!" Draco gasped. "Would you so willingly besmirch a woman's character?"

"What the hell are you two getting at?" Hermione huffed.

"Such crude behavior for a lady to display!" Draco gaped. "Perhaps, Sir Potter is correct in his insinuations."

"Now would you care to listen to my theory on what I find most unsettling?"

"Yes, yes." Draco nodded. "Do go on. I have my smelling salts handy should your tale cause me to feel faint."

"Very good," Harry approved, "Now, what I find most disconcerting are the horrid scenarios that plague my mind should Hermione's dearest Father discover that unseemly mark marring her neck."

Hermione turned scarlet instantly and pulled up the neck of her sweater to cover the hicky coloring her neck. Having just taken a shower after her father had gone, she'd forgotten to reapply foundation on her neck. Thankful that Daddy wasn't there, she quickly pondered how to cover her tracks.

"If any of you dare rat me out to Daddy, you'll rue the day." She hissed, settling for threatening.

"That's not way to go about gaining our favor." Harry warned, absent mindedly chewing on the tip of his quill.

"If you dare snitch on me, I'll tell Daddy about your idiotic climb to the top of the Astronomy tower- without any magical protection."

"I'll keep quite!" Harry promised. "Don't tell him!"

"And you," Hermione glared at Draco, "I'll tell Daddy about your many intimate liaisons with Astoria in the potions classroom."

"How-"

"Astoria shares everything with Aster and I."

"I won't breathe a word." Draco solemnly swore.

"Glad to see we've reached an understanding." Hermione smirked, completely satisfied.

"You really are your father's child." Draco mumbled.

"You're almost as scary as he is." Harry added.

"Don't you forget it." Hermione grinned.

Completely chastised both boys shoved their essays back into their backpacks, deciding that they had had enough of Charms- opting instead to engage in an impromptu wrestling match, started by Harry.

"Don't get blood on the floor." Hermione muttered distractedly. "Daddy just cleaned it."

Both boys made noncommittal grunts and continued their unrestraint wrestling match, showing no restraint as they slammed each other against the floor and refused to lighten their blows.

Once she was completely satisfied that no more interruptions would come her way, she relaxed and scratched Crookshanks (who sat atop her feet) and returned to the paragraph she'd left off on.

A blissful three minutes passed by, time that allowed her to arrive at the last page of her much beloved book, when an angry pounding sounded at the front door. A harried knocking that only got louder by each passing second.

"Who the sodding hell could that possibly be!?" Hermione snapped, slamming her book down atop the coffee table.

"Maybe Dad's back?" Harry suggested, sounding hopeful.

"Why would he knock at his own door?" Draco snorted, still pinned beneath Harry.

"Whoever it is, their horribly rude!" Hermione huffed. "Honestly, who comes calling this late?"

"Let's go see." Harry suggested, hopping off Draco and heading toward the door.

"Harry- stop!" Hermione yelled. "You can't just answer the door when you don't know who it is!"

"What if it's an emergency?" Harry questioned.

"I don't know…" Hermione frowned.

"We're in the castle," Draco reasoned, "No one would be stupid enough to try and kill any of us here."

"Fine." Hermione decided. "Open the door."

Tugging her wand free from its pocket, she waited tensely as Harry hurried over to the door and yanked it open. Nearly toppling over as Sirius stomped in, Harry quickly recovered and straightened as Sirius tore through into the living room.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Sirius yelled.

"Where is who?"

Hermione demanded, standing in front of the corridor that lead to their rooms. Sirius had no right to invade their privacy like that after all, and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him rifle through her room.

"SNAPE!" Sirius exploded.

"Would you stop yelling!?" Hermione demanded. "We can hear you! The whole dungeon can hear you."

"I have a bone to pick with your father!" Sirius barked. "Where is he!?"

"He's just returned," Daddy drawled, slamming the front door shut, "And is wondering where the hell you got the gall to scream in my daughter's face like madman."

"Did Harry spend Easter with you!?" Sirius growled.

"He did." Daddy confirmed. "Now, kindly step away from my daughter before I blast you to bits."

Much to her relief, Sirius did step away from her. But unfortunately, the next victim he chose to intimidate was poor Harry who was rather caught off guard by all this explosive behavior being exhibited by his Godfather.

"What the hell, Harry?" Sirius spat, throwing his arms up into the air and ignoring Harry as he flinched and took a few steps back.

"You told me I couldn't stay with you because of the doxy invasion…" Harry explained quietly, looking more and more nervous the redder Sirius's face became.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU STAY WITH HIM!"

"Are you saying that you'd rather have had Harry staying alone in the castle?"

Draco snarled, always one to voice his opinions no matter the age of the person to whom he was speaking. If they were asking for it, Draco hardly ever failed to deliver.

"You stay out of this!"

"Stop yelling!" Daddy snapped, yanking his wand out. "Who told you that you could even enter my apartment!?"

"He just pushed past Harry!" Hermione tattled.

"I'll bloody well see my godson whenever I sodding well please!" Sirius snarled, looking murderous.

"Scream at my daughter one more time!" Daddy threatened, raising his wand to Sirius's neck.

Sirius glowered at Daddy before turning back to face Harry, who had very visibly paled and was now slightly trembling. His anxiety obviously only worsened as Sirius leveled the harsh look at him, and Hermione wanted to do nothing more than hug him tightly.

"I want you to go back to Gryffindor tower!" He ordered. "Where you belong."

"But-"

"Did I stutter!?"

"I-"

"You what, Harry?" Sirius exclaimed. "Speak!"

"I don't want to go back to Gryffindor tower." He whispered, taking a few more steps backward.

"What?" Sirius's voice became very quiet.

"I don't want to go-"

"Do you think your father would you want you spending time here!?" Sirius yelled. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Fraternizing with his sworn enemy!? What's wrong with you?!"


	88. Chapter 88

Severus was beyond livid, far past furious, and at a level of rage he never knew existed. He had not been so upset since the day Voldemort had betrayed him by murdering the Potters, and he could practically feel the ulcers manifesting from the stress his body had undergone as he forced himself to keep from bludgeoning Black to death a lamp. Black was extremely lucky to have escaped with his life, because no one attacked his children- physically or verbally.

"Severus, are you okay?"

Draco pressed softly, still looking shell-shocked after having witnessed Severus violently expelling Sirius from his apartment.

"I swear," Severus growled, "Sirius Black is going to be the first man I willingly murder."

"Your hand is bleeding." Draco muttered quietly.

Severus startled, looking down at his left hand to see that he'd broken the glass container he'd used to store the Full-Moon Moss. Cursing quietly, he removed the glass with a spell and quickly plopped the moss down into a dirty bowl that was still atop the coffee table despite Draco's promise to have the dishes clean by the time he returned.

"Would you floo your parents over?" Severus asked Draco. "I have a feeling Harry could use a mother's touch."

Draco nodded and hurried over to the fireplace, bringing the flames to life with a needlessly complex spell. Resolving to remember to inform his nephew of a better way to do such a task, Severus set out in pursuit of his children.

As it turned out, he didn't have to go far or do much searching to discover the whereabouts of the two young teenagers. Hermione was pressed up against the bathroom door, her voice calm and sweet as she tried to coax Harry into unlocking the door.

"Cherub, why don't you go into the living room?" Severus suggested gently. "I'll get Harry out, don't worry."

"He's really upset." Hermione whispered, concern etched into her face.

"I know." Severus frowned, giving her a brief hug. "But do as I asked. Narcissa and Lucius will be here shortly."

Hermione nodded and very hesitantly left the bathroom door to enter the living room, very audibly cursing Sirius as she very clearly set about cleaning up the broken bowl said man had launched at a wall.

"Harry, may I come in?" Severus asked softly. "I'd like to make sure you're okay."

Severus waited a long three minutes, but when no answer came, he decided it'd be best to just enter the bathroom without permission.

"Harry, I'm going to come in. Alright?"

And with that warning Severus unlocked the door with an easy spell and gently pushed the door open. Walking inside and closing the door behind him, he kneeled in front of the cupboard beneath the sink- the place where muffled sobs were emanating.

"Harry, can I come in?" He asked, tapping on the cupboard door.

When he only received a sniffle in response, Severus sighed and opened the cupboard. Skinny as Harry was and as large as the cupboard space was, it was an easy fit for Harry after he'd kicked aside the various bottles of Hermione's hair and skin products. Huddled in on himself, the boy sat in the dark and shook.

"It's awfully dark under here, hmmm?" Severus asked, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You want to come out here where it's a bit brighter?"

"Dad?" Harry whispered, his face still buried in his knees.

"Yes, Harry. Dad's here. Come now, talk to me." Severus coaxed.

"Si-Sirius is ang-angry with me." Harry chocked out. "I didn't- didn't do anything."

"Sirius behaved very poorly," Severus agreed, "And you're absolutely correct, you did nothing wrong."

"Why'd he get so angry?" Harry sniffed.

"I think Sirius is still suffering from the effects of Azkaban. That doesn't excuse him, however, and he had no right to yell at you like that."

"Do..Do you- think…think my Dad would…really be angry with me?" Harry sobbed out.

"Harry," Severus frowned, "I may not have particularly liked your father, but I promise you that he'd want you to be happy. And if he knew you were happy here, he'd have never let Sirius act so horridly. And I promise you, Remus would back me up on this."

"I…I…I.."

"Breathe, child." Severus instructed. "Deep breaths."

"I…don't…want…Sirius…upset with me."

"I know, child, I know." Severus murmured. "But you're not at fault. Sirius owes you an apology, not the other way around."

"But I love him…he's my godfather." Harry cried loudly.

"I know, Harry." Severus agreed. "Maybe once he's calmed down a bit and realized how out of line he is, you two can talk this all out."

"I don't…want to be alone with him…anymore." Harry spluttered.

"That's perfectly understandable." Severus nodded, squeezing his shoulder. "And I promise I'll be there for you. And I'm sure Remus will, too, if we ask."

"It was scary…" Harry sobbed.

"Oh, I know." Severus empathized. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"He…looked…so angry."

"I know." Severus repeated. "But I promise you, no one will ever harm you. I'll protect you, Harry. I promise."

Harry sniffed loudly and suddenly launched himself out of the cupboard into Severus's lap, curling up into himself as he leaned heavily into him. Severus didn't miss a beat, rubbing the boys back with one hand, he used his free one to cradle Harry's head to his chest. Humming softly, he allowed the teenager to cry as loudly and as long as he needed- knowing he was emotionally stunted and had just recently been traumatized.

"Love you." Harry hiccupped, calming after a long hour had past. "Don't…don't leave me."

"Foolish boy," Severus smirked, "I'll never leave you. You're mine now, and I love you very much."

"Promise…promise not to yell at Draco for the dishes?" Harry sniffed. "I don't want any more confrontation."

"I'll let it slide," Severus chuckled, using his robe sleeve to swipe at Harry's face, "But come now, why don't you get into some comfortable pajama's?"

"I don't want to go to bed!" Immediately the tears began again. "You said I wasn't in trouble!"

"Harry, you're not," Severus smiled, halting any further tears, "I just thought you'd be more comfortable out of your regular clothes."

Harry relaxed against him once more, and nodded in agreement to the idea.

"Good boy," Severus praised, "Get dressed and we'll all have some cocoa. I'll even let you pick out a board game for us to play."

Harry grinned widely at those prospects and Severus carefully rose, helping the boy to his feet and leading him into his bedroom. Satisfied that Harry was now calm enough to be left alone, Severus made his way into the living room and wrapped Lucius and his wife in a greeting hug.

"How is the poor dear?" Narcissa fussed. "Is he alright on his own?"

"He's rather shaken," Severus answered truthfully, "But he'll be out in a minute. He's changing into some pajamas and then I promised we'd play a board game of his choosing."

"I'm going to kill that man." Narcissa growled. "Always was a trouble maker, even as a kid."

"Don't worry, I'm sure Remus will tear him a new one when he hears about this." Hermione comforted, from her perch atop Lucius's lap.

"I think Severus already broke his nose when he tossed him out." Draco commented, pulling out the often-played Wizard Monopoly from beneath the coffee table.

"Draco, Harry gets to choose the game." Narcissa scolded softly.

"I know," Draco promised, opening the game, "But he's going to choose Monopoly."

"He always does." Hermione agreed.

"I like Monopoly." Harry declared, entering the living room with Witherwings in his arms.

"Harry," Narcissa smiled brightly, "Come here." She coaxed.

Harry willingly made his way over the blonde woman, startling slightly when she pulled him into her lap only to visibly relax once she rubbed at his back and smoothed his hair.

"You've had a rough night, didn't you?" She purred, pressing a cup of cocoa into his hands.

Harry nodded against her shoulder, sniffing as he finished off the last of his tears.

"Do you feel better now, sweetie?" She fussed, kissing his forehead.

"Yes." Harry confirmed. "I just want to forget tonight."

"I bet." Narcissa nodded, still attempting to smooth his hair. "Have you picked out a game?"

"Monopoly." Harry declared, calming all the more with each mother touch and word Narcissa used on him.

"Oh, that sounds like great fun," She smiled, "Do you mind if I just watch? I love to be the banker."

Harry shook his head. "That's okay." He agreed, seemingly content to never move from his seat in Narcissa's lap as they cuddled on the carpet in front of the board game.

"Which piece are we going to be, hmm?"

"We're the lion." Harry said firmly, plucking out the colored piece and smirking as it growled in satisfaction.

"I'm the basilisk!" Draco yelled, snatching said piece before his father could.

"I guess I'll be the wand then." Lucius frowned, annoyed that his favorite piece was already claimed.

"I'm the cauldron, of course." Severus drawled, placing his piece on the start square.

"And I'm the cat." Hermione smiled, scratching her piece to earn a mewl of approval.


	89. Chapter 89

"Are you sure he'll even come?"

Clover whispered, the beautiful color of her eyes hardly discernable as she squinted through the piercing darkness of the shrieking shack.

"We'll send word to him that we've got Harry."

Severus shrugged, trying to bite back his anxiety as he prepared a feat that was equally stupid as it was brave- something he'd curse the Gryffindor's for doing until he was blue in the face.

"And you're very certain that we shouldn't have told anyone else about this?" Clover pressed, her usually calm face pinched with worry.

"Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth." Severus shrugged, feigning confidence that every last thing would go perfectly.

"This isn't broth, Severus!" Clover hissed, shivering as an icy draft flew past her.

"Look, Clover," Severus sighed, "Lucius and Narcissa need to remain alive in case something should happen to me. They'll need to be there for the kids- and you," He gave her a small smile, "You'll be safe beneath Harry's invisibility cloak- not even Death could find you while you hide in its folds."

"You said you were confident!" She breathed, grasping his hand tightly. "Positive that you wouldn't die tonight."

"If Voldemort isn't stopped, I will die. We all will." Severus explained patiently, placing his own hand atop the one clutching his left. "He's still a very powerful wizard, Clover."

"I can't stop you," She frowned, "But promise me you'll be careful. Even more so than usual."

"I promise," He insisted, gracing her with a genuine smile, "Promise me the same."

"I swear." She nodded, giving his hand one last squeeze before breaking away.

"Let's get started than, shall we?" He asked, eager to break the thick tension and bittersweet feeling penetrating the dusty air.

"It's nearly three in the morning."

Clover agreed, casting yet another locking charm on the front door despite the fact that very few even knew how to enter the shack, much less get past the first fifteen wards she'd cast. Shaking his head at her, whilst still admiring her cautious nature, he pried loose a few floorboards and removed an ancient trunk. Flipping the lid open as gently as he could, he waited to Clover to join his side.

"We need a mirror." Aster whispered, pulling her cloak around herself as tightly as she could.

Severus nodded and removed a small rectangle of mirror from within the container, placing it up against a wall before he took several steps back.

"Extendo." He whispered, carefully maintaining the spell so that it would not crack the antique mirror that was said to have once belonged to Salazar's youngest daughter.

Once he had managed to fit the mirror to cover an entire wall, he and Clover set about lining the bottoms of the walls with emerald, silver, and black candles. Methodically lighting each one, Severus willed his heart to stop beating so furiously.

He was so very close to death, and while that would have never bothered him before, it did now. Now that he had something to live for, it seemed almost selfish to be so foolish- whereas before it had seemed like quite the opposite.

"Severus, come and sit."

Clover beckoned him over with a slender finger, seated upon a white sheet with a rusting cauldron waiting for his work. With very heavy feet he obeyed her hesitant order, sinking down to sit in front of the cauldron.

"As soon as Salazar arrives; you quickly explain the plan to him, touch my Dark Mark, and hide beneath the cloak."

She nodded, rapidly blinking to clear out the tears forming in her eyes. Though she'd never admit to such sensitivity, and he'd never call her out on it, Severus was left with a mixture of confusing emotions at their sight. While he was immensely pleased she cared enough about to think him worthy of tears, it only heightened the guilt strangling his insides.

Pushing it all down, like he'd learned to do since early childhood, he removed the dagger he'd borrowed from Draco and pressed it to already scarred up flesh above his left wrist.

"With the razor of our ancestors I, Severus Tobias Snape, offer the blood of our people to Salazar himself."

With the loud and clear declaration he ripped the smooth silver across his wrist, watching semi-fascinated as the crimson rush flooded down his arm into the cauldron. Letting the open wound to bleed freely, he gently pressed the razor into Clover's semi-shaking hand.

"With the razor of our ancestors I, Clover Merope Flint, offer the blood of our people to Salazar himself."

Ripping her own creamy flesh open, she allowed the droplets to join his own in the cauldron, scooting closer and closer to Severus the more that time went by.

It wasn't long before the smoke began to cloud the house, thickening and thickening until the only visibility that occurred was when the dark smoke cleared every now and then in certain spots.

"Salazar Slytherin come to us."

Severus and Clover chanted in unison, both gripping each other's hand very tightly.

"My body is yours for as long as you should need." Severus drawled.

"We need your assistance, Slytherin House is on the brink of destruction." Clover added, her nails cutting into Severus.

"I can't breathe." Clover whispered, beads of sweat lining her brow.

"It's fine." Severus soothed, stretching out a palm to touch the mirror in front of them.

"It's so cold." She shivered, leaning heavily into his side as he pressed his forehead to the smooth glass.

"Salazar, come to us." Severus pleaded, closing his eyes as nausea began to build up in his stomach. "Slytherin House is coming to ruin. Voldemort will drive us into the ground if you don't stop him."

"Who has called me forth from my rest?"

A gravelly voice boomed, echoing across the shack.

Cracking his eyes open, Severus gave a silent gasp as his eyes met another pair of black ones. In the mirror stood the image of Salazar himself, shifting slightly as if he were more mirage than man. Goatee longer than Dumbledore's beard, and head bald as an infants, his unique presence shone out vividly despite the gloomy blackness of the room.

"I am Severus Snape, current Head of Slytherin House, Lord Slytherin."

"Your daughter has visited me." He rasped, a look of bemusement coming to rest across his face. "She is an asset to our house."

"Thank you." Severus bowed slightly. "She is a lovely child."

"Indeed, I do not regret sparing her life and the life of her friends."

"I am ever in your debt for such kindness." Severus insisted.

"I seek no return for my mercy, Severus. She is a great asset to our house. Surely she will help bring our house out of its shame."

"Your words are very kind, Lord." Severus nodded.

"But we cannot being damage control until Voldemort is gone." Clover interrupted, giving an apologetic dip of her head as Salazar's eyes turned to rest on her.

"Pardon my manners, lovely lady, I failed to notice your presence." Salazar smiled. "Who might you be?"

"I am Clover Flint."

"Flint?" Salazar's grin widened. "A very long time ago I took an Eiowyny Flint as my wife. You are the spitting image of her; radiating the same unworldly beauty with a delicate grace."

"Thank you, my Lord." She smiled, blushing slightly.

"You've picked yourself a lovely lady, Severus. Do take care of her."

"When the time comes for me to make her mine, I will treat her as a Queen." Severus promised, squeezing Clover's hand tightly.

"People are always inclined to think they'll be more time, Severus. There never is. You'd do well to act according to that wisdom."

"I only wish for Voldemort's demise before beginning such a relationship."

"The very reason you've summoned me, is it not?"

"Yes, Lord Slytherin. I could think of no better way to defeat him." Severus explained.

"And it is only fitting that you would be the one to denounce him." Clover added.

"Very well," Salazar nodded, "Invite me into yourself, Severus."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What would I give to be able to appear in mine own body," Salazar sighed, taking a few awkward steps about the room until he gained a steadier footing, "I consider it a most egregious invasion of privacy to take over a person's being."

"You've permission, Lord Slytherin."

Clover reasoned, slightly perturbed to hear the slight differences in the drawls of Salazar and Severus. Were it not for that, and the specific word choices, Clover might very well have been fooled into believing the bodily takeover had not even occurred.

"You may call me Salazar, dear child." Salazar smiled, kissing her hand, "If only I may have the pleasure of calling you by your given name."

"You can call me as you wish." She consented, curtseying slightly.

"Enough of this prostrating yourself, we've work to do."

He chided gently, guiding her over to a semi-broken down armchair. Carefully helping her to sit, he kindly patted her blonde head before draping the invisibility cloak over her entirety. Bringing her feet up to her chest, to be all the more concealed, she muttered a spell to keep any sound from escaping her little tent of invisibility.

"I shall call Tom, now. Prepare yourself, granddaughter."

"I am ready." She insisted, fighting to remain calm as panic for Severus's wellbeing began to consume her.

"Very well."

Salazar nodded politely in her direction before turning on his heel to rip up the left sleeve of his robes. With a contemptuous snarl at the Dark Mark marring his forearm, he placed two fingers atop the horrid tattoo and began to pace the room as he waited for his intended prey's arrival.

"Are you chilly, child?" Salazar asked conversationally, his tone pleasant despite its gravelly make.

"A bit." She admitted, blowing on her fingers to warm them.

With a lazy snap of his fingers, he raised a roaring fire inside the hearth without any effort at all on his part- his power far outweighing that of Dumbledore's.

"He'll be here soon," Salazar drawled, "This will soon be over."

Sure enough, after a long ten minutes had past, a loud rasp could be heard on the door. Seconds later, Voldemort had pushed his way through the wards, and smiled evilly when he finally noticed Severus through the smoky clouds.

"Where is the boy, Severus?" Voldemort drawled. "Show me to him."

Salazar ginned, jerking his chin upward to loudly lock all the exits of the room.

"I'm afraid you're rather witless, Tom." Salazar sneered. "You've not been invited here to vanquish an innocent child. You've been invited here to face your death."

"Salazar Slytherin…we meet again."

"Indeed," Salazar smirked, "But it seems you've forgotten our last lesson on manners. You are to address me with my title. Crucio!"

Clover gave a loud gasp as Voldemort dropped to his knees, clutching his face as the pain racked through his snake lake body. Panting and sweating profusely the longer the spell was held, he looked close to death before Salazar seemed to bore of the punishment and ended it with a simple brow raise.

"I am one of you own," Voldemort panted, "I'm going to bring your house to glory! Slytherin House will rule the world."

"You are a fool, Tom. You've marred the reputation of my people, and that is an unforgiveable crime. For it, you shall die."

"You are making a mistake-"

"Avada Kedavra!"


	90. Chapter 90

SIX YEARS LATER

Despite popular opinion, Severus had a very large heart. And while he was very adept at concealing his emotions, he found he could not staunch the waves of feelings flooding his body that Saturday morning as he waited for it to be time to walk his Cherub down the wedding aisle. Thankful that he'd been left alone with her, as everyone took their appropriate places, he blinked rapidly to keep the tears he definitely didn't have in his eyes, away.

What a sight Hermione was, so very beautiful as she radiated happiness from every last pore of her body. A large grin gracing her delicately made up face, she fidgeted happily with blue handkerchief (a family heirloom) Narcissa had given her to stick into her brassiere should the need arise for using it during the ceremony.

"Hermione," Severus croaked, cupping her face in his hands, "You look beautiful."

"Daddy, don't cry." She insisting, placing her hands atop his, "You going to get me started."

"It seems like just yesterday you were four," He rasped, "Playing dress up and hating boys. Now look at you." He swallowed. "You're a beautiful young lady now, on your way to marry Theo."

"Oh, Daddy!" She exclaimed, tears flooding down her cheeks. "Thank you," She breathed, hugging him tightly, "For everything."

"Thank you," Severus corrected, squeezing her tightly, "You saved my life. Before you came around I was so angry and depressed. You gave me reason to live again."

"We need to start walking down the aisle, Dad." She sniffed, pulling away to swipe at her eyes. "Before we both start bawling."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Severus questioned, swallowing down a lump in his throat.

"Yes," She insisted, drawing herself up tall, "We can do this."

He nodded, kissing her softly on the forehead.

"Let me get one last look at you, Cherub."

She smiled and twirled a few times, the tulle from her dress spinning with her, before she stopped and posed sweetly- allowing him to take in every last detail of his daughter's wedding day apparel.

Dressed in a very lacey and sparkly ball gown, the tulle bottom was only a few inches away from being obnoxious. With a semi sweetheart neckline, something Severus was very grateful for, she was the picture of grace in that lovely dress.

Clover's emerald studs (a gift 'borrowed' from said woman) shining brightly within her ear lobes, Narcissa's silver bauble necklace resting delicately on her neck, and the emerald studded bracelet Severus had just bought her resting on her right rest, she had something old (necklace) Something new (bracelet), something borrowed (Clover's earrings), and something blue (handkerchief).

Her bouquet was just as lovely as the rest of her ensemble. Sprinkled moderately with generous amounts of silver and green sparkles, the flowers of the same color stuck out brilliantly and emitted a wondrous scent with each small movement.

"Let's go, Cherub."

Grabbing her arm, he gave her one last large grin before he opened the dressing room door and stepped out into the entry way of the muggle cathedral most Slytherin's got married in due to its beauty and large size.

"Don't let go." She whispered, shivering slightly as the music easily carried through the door.

"Never." Severus assured, kissing her cheek before the doors flicked open on their own accord.

Both normally very private individuals, they balked at the vast quantity of guests that turned to eye them without restraint. But when he caught sight of Hermione beaming like a fool at the sight of Theo standing on the alter, he relaxed greatly and forgot the crowd.

All too soon they were at the alter and it came time for Severus to hand over his daughter to Theo. Taking a deep breathe, and ignoring Draco's snickering, he gave Hermione's cheek one last kiss before he shook Theodore's hand and joined his hands with his daughters.

Taking his seat in the front pew as quickly as he could, so no one would see the tears in his eyes, he squeezed his wife of six year's hand (Clover) tightly as he stared toward the front of the church.

Per a request that was more of a tyrannical demand, the attire was muggle but still extremely formal. Which meant the groomsmen; Blaise, Ron, Harry, and best man Draco were all dressed in tuxedos with a touch of emerald and showing on their ties and undershirts. Likewise the bridesmaids; Siobhan, Ginny, Astoria, and maid of honor Aster (currently very pregnant) wore emerald tea length dresses with silver shoes.

"Who gives Hermione Narcissa Granger to this man?"

The priest asked, beginning the ceremony as soon as the excited murmuring had quieted down.

Standing in unison with Clover, they spoke in unison. "We do." Before they sat back down next to Lucius and Narcissa, the latter of whom was already sobbing heavily into a handkerchief.

"And who gives Theodore Cantankerous Nott to this woman?"

Unfortunately Theo had long since been disowned, leaving Lucius and Narcissa to fill the role.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today so that Theodore and Hermione may seal their love in the presence of the Church and this community. Christ abundantly blesses love this pure, and he strengthens you both so that you may assume the duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity. And so, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions."

Severus bit his tongue to keep from joining in with Narcissa's caterwauling, and gripped Clover's hand tightly as the wedding progressed.

"Theodore and Hermione, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

"I do." Theo nodded, eyes shining brightly.

"I do." Hermione grinned, nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Will you love each other and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?"

"I do."

"I do."

"Since it is your intentions to enter into marriage, look into each other's eyes, and declare your consent before the Church and this community."

"I, Theodore Cantankerous Nott, take you, Hermione Narcissa Granger, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, forever and always."

"I, Hermione Narcissa Granger, take you, Theodore Cantankerous Nott, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, forever and always."

"You have declared your consent before us all. Let us bless the rings."

With that the little two year old Rephaim, Ron and Aster's oldest, accompanied the tiny one year old, Moira (Ron and Aster's youngest- for now) down the aisle to hand the priest the lovely rings.

"May these rings, which you give to each other, be a sign of your love and fidelity."

"Hermione, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity." Theo entreated, placing the ring unto her finger with great gentleness.

"Theodore, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity." Hermione breathed, placing the ring unto his finger with great enthusiasm.

"Now I declare, with the power vested in me, that you are now man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And it was at that very last part, Severus lost his composure for a few seconds. Quickly swiping away the sole tear as it fell, he grinned widely as Theo scooped up Hermione and walked her down the aisle as they both radiated love into each other with their eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Mrs. Hermione Nott."

Theo grinned, kissing her deeply as they sat at the wedding parties table at the front of the Malfoy's ballroom- elevated up on the stage to display the happy couple all the more easily. Leaning into the kiss, she blushed as the crowd cheered but only pulled away once she was ready.

"Careful, 'Mione." Ron warned, shoveling face full of candy from the candy bar. "A kiss like that is how we ended up with Rephaim so quickly."

"And you're not allowed to get pregnant until this one comes out." Aster insisted, resting her hand atop her bloated belly. "We've got to plan out our pregnancies so we can have a pair of kids the same age."

"You married a Weasley," Blaise teased, "You were going to end up pregnant your wedding night regardless if you did the deed or not."

"Speaking of that, how's the adoption process going you two?" Draco pressed. "I can push it through at the ministry if you'd like."

"Oh no," Siobhan shook her head, "Little Merida will be here by next week."

"She'll be Moira's age won't she?" Aster smiled.

"A bit younger, but not too much." Siobhan agreed. "They'll be great friends. I'm soo glad we decided to adopt a couple kids before we have our own."

"Speaking of families, are you and Ginny engaged yet?" Ron asked Harry, dodging his sister's angry swipe.

"We decided to wait a few more years." Harry explained. "Although we might have to marry sooner, seeing as Molly is on a wedding roll what with Bill and Fleur and Percy and Penelope tying the knot and having babies of their own."

"We're definitely next in line after Fred and Angelina." Ginny agreed, not sounding as averse to the idea of marriage and motherhood as she had been before.

"We still have a while." Harry shrugged. "No need to rush."

"Besides, my mum's going to be drowning in babies if we start too soon." Ginny nodded.

"I see Moira's magic's been getting stronger." Hermione giggled, pointing toward where said little girl was busily levitating her older brother over a loudly giggling Teddy.

"Yes," Ron frowned, "It has. Last night she flipped the house on its side."

"I think that one is definitely going to be a Slytherin." Harry commented. "Rephaim's definitely a Gryffindor though."

"Three out of four isn't too shoddy." Aster shrugged.

"Those two are still in the womb," Ron rolled his eyes, "You can't tell what they're going to be yet."

"I'm the one carrying them." Aster retorted. "And they're not kicking and making me sick like Rephaim did. They're Slytherins."

"We'll just have to have a couple more to even the numbers out." Ron declared.

"You're house will be destroyed by all that fighting." Siobhan laughed.

"We'll see." Aster dismissed. "I'll kick little asses if I have too. Like I tell Moira all the time, you may be a tough little witch, but I'm even tougher."

"I can tell you right now she's going to give you a world of trouble when she starts getting into boys." Theo warned. "She's a miniature version of you."

"I'm not too worried about that." Ron mumbled. "She and Teddy have got too big a crush on each other to go about chasing after anyone else."

"He best watch himself," Ron warned to no one in particular, "Moira's my baby girl."

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As the wedding supper gradually winded down and people got ready to dance and drink more heavily, Draco stood and rang his glass until everyone quieted up and prepared to listen to the best man speech he'd very carefully prepared for his lovely cousin and his best mate.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!" He smiled, never one to be shy, "Before I begin my speech, I just want to say that I asked Theo before I started writing if there was anything I should not say, and he said no. So Hermione, this is really his fault."

Waiting for the giggling to stop, Draco beamed down at freshly married couple and winked at his own wife before he continued.

"I'd like to start by pointing out that Hermione looks lovely today- even more beautiful than she usually does. As for Theo…well, my mother always said if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, right?"

More giggling commenced.

"In all honestly, Theo really does have an amazing personality. I've known him since we were three, which makes me his most handsome, most personable and oldest friend. And I am honored to be here tonight to sing Theodore's praises."

"From being at the top of his class, just below his lovely wife, to volunteering time and money to help those misplaced by the war, Theo shows just how selfless he really is. He is truly an invaluable friend, the one who asks you how your day is because he really wants to know. Better yet, he's the kind of person who pushes you to be a better person."

"Today definitely speaks to his impeccable character, because today counts as one of Theo's biggest accomplishments to date. Which is that of committing to a woman like Hermione, and giving her all the love that he has within him to her."

"You have always inspired me to be a better person, Theo. Today you lead the way; becoming a man and starting a family. I wish you two a lifetime of happiness, the kind of deep growth that comes from loving another, and a life of love that never stops. It is an honor for us to all witness the beginning or your journey together."

"Let's toast! To this beautiful couple! Congratulation, you two."

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As soon as Draco sat down, Aster stood up, wishing again the little lions inside her stomach weren't so keen on making her feel the need to urinate every three minutes. But sucking it up, she rested her hands on her enormous belly and glared until everyone shut up for fear she'd attack them in her hormonal rage if she had to stand for longer than necessary.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Aster. I'm maid of honor and Hermione's best mate. I want to start out by saying that every once in a while, two people meet, and you know it's meant to be. You know that their paths would bring them together regardless of what the world would through their ways, which only makes sense, as I'd have gutted anyone who dared to mess with her happiness."

"Hermione and I meant when we were just fourteen, which seems ages ago now that I have two little monsters with two more on the way and she's getting married."

"Recalling when I first met Hermione, it truly amazes me that we even became friends. Had she not dealt with my shite, a sign of her patient nature, I would not be here today at her side."

"I may not have fun stories of us playing dress up when we were little, but I feel like none of that matters because I feel like we've known each other our whole life. Unfortunately, we know more about each other than we probably care to. We have laughed together, vomited over each other, and have horrible inside jokes that should never be shared with anyone else. And as completely different as we are, we became more than just friends, we became sisters."

"When you and Theo were still dating, I remembering betting your father 50 galleons you'd be married within four years. And while I'm a bit sore at losing money because you took so long to get here, I couldn't be happier for you. You two complete each other. You are two people with very big hearts."

"Theo, as her husband, I understand that you are the love of her life and are her sole caretaker. I know you make her happy, and I know she loves you (especially your lovely hair and eyes) and I know that I'll never have worry she simply settled for you."

"However, if you dare mess and hurt her in any way, I will kill whatever part of you is left after her father gets to you." Laughter filled the room but she shook her head. "I'm not kidding."

"But seriousness aside, everyone raise a glass and join me in congratulating the very beautiful bride and handsome groom on the day we've been waiting so long for. Cheers!"

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Severus was utterly exhausted by the end of the wedding, and as it was nearly four in the morning, he quickly managed to sneak a few minutes alone with his daughter and son-in-law. Having shoved them into a tiny room off the ballroom, he relaxed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"Before you two run off to Paris and leave me all alone for a month, I've got a little something for you."

"Severus, you've already paid for half this wedding." Theo politely reminded, his arm wrapped around Hermione's waist. "And what with Clover and Narcissa showering Hermione in jewels-"

Severus interrupted him with a single finger raising, and pressed the envelope into Hermione's hand.

"Open it, please."

Hermione obliged and tore the top off the envelope, having inherited Severus's perchance for saving wrapping papers and envelopes and removed the first square of people from within its content and held it so that Theo could see.

"Mipsy and Flix, being happily married, happily agree to enter into Mr. and Mrs. Nott's service in exchange for room, board, food, and three weeks of vacation time each year to be used at their discretion. A small allowance of a galleon a week, happily paid for by Mrs. Nott's father, is also making us happy. Mr. and Mrs. Nott, being the leaders behind the laws that freed house elves, are happy to work for them would be very happy if they'd allow us the pleasure."

"You bought us house elves?" Hermione gaped.

"No, I hired two house elves for you for a very fair price. You can't buy those that are already free, you should know that." He mock scolded. "So long as you treat them kindly, which I know you will, they'll be happy to work for you two. There was actually a small riot when I went into the House Elf Employment Office- they all wanted to work for you for what you've done for them."

"Thank you!" They both exclaimed, looking beyond excited given that Hermione still couldn't cook very well.

"I figure once the babies start coming you'll need the extra set of hands. Especially with how often Aster and Ron bring their brood around."

"Speaking of such," Theo smiled, "Hermione and I agreed, when we have our first boy- we're naming him after you."

"That means the world to me." Severus smiled. "Thank you."

"But where are we going to put Mipsy and Flix?" Hermione frowned. "We haven't found a home yet and we can't just move them into Daddy and Clover's new manor while it's still being renovated- there aren't any room available."

"Narcissa and Lucius bought us a summer cottage, we can stay there for a bit." Theo reassured. "Avery's already furnished it."

"There is one more bit of paper inside that envelope." Severus smiled. "Read it."

Theo grabbed out the paper this time, and read it aloud as Hermione rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's a deed," Theo said bluntly, "For that eight-room home we fell in love with in Wiltshire. The one a few hours away from the Malfoy's."

"And only a few miles away from Daddy's." Hermione finished grinning.

"Don't get me wrong, It's not because I want to keep an eye on you two." Severus immediately clarified. "It's simply the house you fell in love with."

"Daddy- thank you!" Hermione gushed, wrapping him in a tight wrong.

"I don't know what to say." Theo smiled. "It's most appreciated."

"We'll visit all the time." Hermione promised for the seventeenth time. "In fact, you're the first stop after we get back from Paris."

"I'm counting on it." Severus smiled. "Now go, before Narcissa gets ahold of you and tried to keep you from leaving."

"Or before you do." Theo teased, shaking his hand one last time.

"I love you, Daddy." Hermione smiled, kissing his chin.

"I love you too, Cherub."


End file.
